Thanksgiving Week college hoops week brings new-look Players Era Festival to tournament lineup
AP Basketball Writer
Eight of the nation’s premier basketball programs are descending on Las Vegas during the traditional Thanksgiving tournament week for a unique event where real money for their school’s name, image and likeness collectives is riding on the outcome.
Welcome to a brave new world for college hoops.
The three-day Players Era Festival, tipping off Tuesday and organized by RedBird IMI-backed EverWonder Studios, is reimagining old-school holiday tournaments. Every school participating will receive at least $1 million for their NIL collective, with bonuses of $500,000 to the champion, $250,000 to the runner-up, $150,000 for third place and $100,000 for finishing in fourth.
“When we launched Players Era, we knew that it had the ability to drive a positive shift in the college basketball landscape, and we’re seeing that vision come to life as we get ready to tip off next week,” the event’s CEO, Seth Berger, said in a statement.
“Everything we do is about delivering value to the players,” Berger continued, “and our guiding principles continue to be paying the players fair market value for their NIL and creating captivating content for fans.”
Fair market value comes to a hefty tab of $9 million in payouts to the participating schools.
The lucrative proposition has resulted in a stacked field for the round-robin format at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
San Diego State faces No. 21 Creighton, Oregon plays No. 20 Texas A&M, sixth-ranked Houston faces No. 9 Alabama and Rutgers plays Notre Dame on Tuesday. Each team plays another opponent Wednesday. Those results along with point differentials — capped at 20 points per game — are used to set Saturday’s championship and consolation games.
The financials aside, the Players Era Festival features some heavyweight matchups of national title contenders.
The Bluejays are led by All-American candidate Ryan Kalkbrenner, the Cougars and Crimson Tide — whose opening game is must-see TV — are March darlings, while Texas A&M is among nine SEC programs ranked in this week’s AP Top 25.
“There’s a lot of silliness out there asking if we can win a national championship. How would I know?” Houston coach Kelvin Sampson said. “Do you understand what a bad call does to a team, or a missed free throw or a sprained ankle? That’s why you don’t ever focus on the destination. You take pride and joy in going through the journey. However it ends up, it ends up, but don’t ever judge your season on how you finish. Judge it on how hard you tried and did you do the best you could.”
Maui turns 40
The Maui Invitational is celebrating its ruby jubilee back in Lahaina, after the wildfires last year forced its relocation, and began Monday with another loaded field. Fourth-ranked Auburn faced No. 5 Iowa State in an opening round that also featured second-ranked UConn against Memphis, Colorado against Michigan State and Dayton against No. 12 North Carolina.
The tournament continues with semifinals Tuesday and the championship game Wednesday.
Stand-alone showdown
Top-ranked Kansas, led by All-American center Hunter Dickinson, takes on Cooper Flagg and No. 11 Duke on Tuesday night in the Vegas Showdown. Kansas already has beaten the Tar Heels in a thriller at Allen Fieldhouse and Michigan State in the Champions Classic, while the Blue Devils have lost to No. 8 Kentucky but are coming off a win over then-No. 17 Arizona.
Battle in the Bahamas
The ballroom is staged once against at Atlantis Paradise Island for one of the most unique holiday tournaments of Thanksgiving week. Third-ranked Gonzaga, No. 14 Indiana and No. 21 Arizona are the headliners in the eight-team Battle 4 Atlantis, which tips off Wednesday and continues with semifinals Thursday and the championship game Friday.
Other games to watch
No. 18 Florida should have a de facto home-court advantage when it joins Minnesota, Wichita State and Wake Forest for the ESPN Events Invitational at Walt Disney World Resort. The Rady Children’s Invitational also tips off Thursday in San Diego with No. 13 Purdue playing NC State and No. 23 Ole Miss facing BYU, while No. 19 Arkansas plays Illinois in the Thanksgiving Hoops Showcase at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri.
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