Players Era 2026 brackets, matchups: Two tournaments, 24 teams for NIL in Vegas

The brackets for the 2026 Players Era Championships have been determined, sources told CBS Sports.

The third year of the NIL-based event that pays out millions to participating schools and will again take place in Las Vegas is growing to 24 teams. Those teams were announced earlier in May, along with ESPN as the new television broadcast partner. Thirteen of the 24 schools playing in the 2026 Players Era event made last year’s NCAA Tournament. The most notable in this year’s crop: Florida, Michigan, Gonzaga, Iowa State, Houston, Louisville and Tennessee are all in the top 15 of CBS Sports’ offseason rankings. 

Now, time for the brackets. Last year 18 teams were involved, which didn’t allow for a bracket. Instead, pool play and point differential were the determining factors for which teams wound up receiving additional NIL money. That led to criticism over the event’s format. In 2026, it will be pure bracket play, as the hoops gods intended.

With 24 teams on board, organizers opted for two tournaments: one with eight schools and the other with 16. The two tournaments will take place on back-to-back weeks in the second half of November. Just like in 2025, Players Era’s games will be staged at T-Mobile Arena and Michelob Ultra Arena. 

Players Era 8 bracket (Nov. 17-19)

The first Players Era tournament will be played on the Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday the week before Thanksgiving. Here’s the layout. All times and TV windows will be determined later this offseason.

Nov. 17HOUSTON vs. RUTGERSFLORIDA vs. NOTRE DAME

AUBURN VS. WEST VIRGINIAKANSAS VS. UNLV

Nov. 18Winners of Houston/Rutgers vs. Florida/Notre DameWinners of Auburn/WVU vs. Kansas/UNLVConsolation bracket for Houston/Rutgers vs. Florida/Notre DameConsolation bracket for Auburn/WVU vs. Kansas/UNLV

Nov. 19Championship Third-Place MatchupConsolation bracket game No. 3Consolation bracket game No. 4

Of the eight teams involved in this bracket, Florida and West Virginia are the newcomers in 2026. The other six played in the Players Era in 2025 and/or 2024.

Players Era 16 bracket (Nov. 24-28)

The 16-school tournament will begin on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving and wrap on the Saturday after, with the lone game on that Saturday (Nov. 28) being the championship tilt. Because this tournament is twice the size of the other, the Players Era 16 is going to be two eight-team brackets (three games apiece for all teams) on opposing sides, with the champion of each facing off for one additional/fourth game that will be for the championship and an additional $1 million in NIL opportunities. 

Bracket 1

Nov. 24TENNESSEE vs MARYLANDIOWA STATE vs. SAN DIEGO STATE

ST. JOHN’S vs. OREGON LOUISVILLE vs. TEXAS TECH

Bracket 2

GONZAGA vs. KANSAS STATEBAYLOR vs. ALABAMA 

MICHIGAN vs. CREIGHTON MIAMI VS. TCU 

Nov. 26 Winners of Tennessee/Maryland vs. Iowa State/San Diego StateWinners of St. John’s/Oregon vs. Louisville/Texas TechConsolation bracket for Tennessee/Maryland vs. Iowa State/San Diego StateConsolation bracket for St. John’s/Oregon vs. Louisville/Texas Tech

Winners of Gonzaga/Kansas State vs. Baylor/Alabama Winners of Michigan/Creighton vs. Miami/TCUConsolation bracket for Gonzaga/Kansas State vs. Baylor/Alabama Consolation bracket for Michigan/Creighton vs. Miami/TCU

Nov. 27Bracket 1 semifinal winnersBracket 2 semifinal winnersBracket 1 third-place Bracket 1 fifth-placeBracket 1 seventh-placeBracket 2 third-placeBracket 2 fifth-placeBracket 2 seventh-place

Nov. 28 CHAMPIONSHIP: Bracket 1 winner vs. Bracket 2 winner at Michelob Ultra Arena

The Players Era 16 will start on Tuesday, Nov. 24, and then go dormant on Thanksgiving Eve before play resumes on Thanksgiving. There will still be college basketball in Las Vegas on the day before Thanksgiving, though: That’s when Duke and UConn will meet at T-Mobile Arena for a one-off as part of Duke’s groundbreaking deal with Amazon Prime Video. It will be a massive week for the sport in Sin City.

The tip times and TV windows for all of the games will be revealed later in the offseason, sources said. Both Players Era events will total 37 games, making it the largest regular-season event in college basketball history.