The Players Era Championship is back in Las Vegas for its second run. This time, 18 men’s basketball teams are on the roster, including heavyweights like Houston, Michigan, St. John’s, and Auburn.
This tournament is funded by private equity. AND1 founder Seth Berger and EverWonder Studio, which has RedBird IMI behind it, are the brains behind the event.
It’s changed how schools think about the money involved in multi-team events (MTEs). The first year, organizers promised $1 million in NIL money to every team. This year, the talk is about over $20 million in guaranteed sponsor NIL activities for both men’s and women’s teams.
But if you dig into the details, those big financial headlines don’t always line up with reality.
The Evolution of the Players Era Championship
The Players Era Championship has become a must-watch event in college basketball, almost overnight. Early on, it grabbed attention by guaranteeing big NIL payouts to teams.
This year, the messaging has shifted a bit. Now it’s about a collective $20 million in sponsor NIL activities. The million-per-team idea is still out there, but the actual numbers? They’re all over the place.
Financial Realities and Contractual Details
Take UNLV and the Friends of UNLV NIL Collective, managed by Blueprint Sports. Their agreement, signed in June, promised $800,000 in NIL compensation—short of that $1 million figure you’ve probably seen.
The other $200,000 came from a separate event participation agreement, mostly to help cover UNLV’s buyout for the Maui Invitational. On top of that, UNLV had to buy 1,500 tickets for the event, costing $202,500. They could resell them however they wanted, or just eat the loss.
This ticket deal isn’t unique to UNLV. At least one other school had a contract with the same requirements. Even with these commitments, UNLV hasn’t had much luck on the court this year, dropping both games so far. Attendance hasn’t exactly blown anyone away, either.
Impact on Participating Teams
The deals teams make with Players Era go beyond just what happens on the court. Rutgers, for example, got a $50,000 travel stipend. That’s not really enough to charter a flight from New Jersey to Las Vegas for a whole team.
Unlike UNLV, Rutgers didn’t get a players participation fee—their money flowed through their NIL collective instead.
Additional Commitments and Sponsorships
UNLV’s agreement threw in a couple more things. Players Era could organize two regular-season games at UNLV’s Thomas & Mack Center.
That plan changed when St. Joseph’s dropped out after their head coach left. The games between UNLV and Syracuse ended up being set up independently.
The NIL commitments for players don’t stop when the tournament ends. The UNLV collective’s agreement included a draft release giving Players Era and its partners the right to use the athletes’ NIL for the entire 2025-26 men’s basketball season and postseason. That’s a pretty long leash.
There’s also a clause: athletes can’t promote other hotels, resorts, casinos, or gaming companies for seven days before or after the Players Era Championship. That’s a pretty tight window.
Broadcasting and Media Partnerships
This tournament isn’t happening in a vacuum. Major broadcasters like TNT Sports are covering the games this week. That kind of exposure is huge for the athletes and their schools.
NCAA Regulations and Recent Changes
The tournament kicked off just after the NCAA decided to let college athletes and athletic department staff bet on pro sports again. This came after several gambling scandals rocked both college and pro sports.
The NCAA still says no to athletes endorsing gambling companies. That adds another twist to the NIL agreements everyone’s talking about.
The Big 12 Conference and Future Prospects
Big news for the future: the Players Era Championship and the Big 12 Conference struck a deal. Starting next season and running through 2030, Big 12 teams will get eight automatic bids to the event.
The Big 12 is also getting a 15% equity stake in the Players Era Championship. Details are still under wraps, but it’s a big move for both sides. Makes you wonder what college basketball will look like in a few years, doesn’t it?
Marketing and Growth
The deal with the Big 12 Conference might look like a big leap forward, but is it really? Some folks are already asking if this is just a flashy marketing move rather than true expansion.
The Players Era had deals in place with Houston, Kansas, Baylor, and Iowa State before this announcement. So, honestly, it feels a bit like they’re just making those partnerships official instead of bringing in a whole new crowd.
The way the Players Era Championship grows will depend a lot on the contract details and, of course, the money involved. NIL agreements are complicated, and the fact that payouts can vary so much between teams makes you wonder—shouldn’t there be more transparency here?
If you want to dig into the nitty-gritty details about the Players Era Championship and how the finances work, check out the full article on Sportico.
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