2025 Players Era Festival

2025 Men's Players Era Festival

Season	2025–26
Teams	18
Finals site	MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise, Nevada
Champions	Michigan (1st title)
Runner-up	Gonzaga (1st title game)
Semifinalists	Kansas (1st semifinal) Tennessee (1st semifinal)
Winning coach	Dusty May (1st title)
MVP	Yaxel Lendeborg (Michigan)
Men's Players Era Festival « 2024

2025 Women's Players Era Festival

Season	2025–26
Teams	4
Finals site	Michelob Ultra Arena, Paradise, Nevada
Champions	Texas (1st title)
Runner-up	South Carolina (1st title game)
Winning coach	Vic Schaefer (1st title)
MVP	Rori Harmon (Texas)
Women's Players Era Festival « 2024

The 2025 Players Era Festival was an early-season college basketball tournament. It was the second edition of the Players Era Festival and the first to feature men's and women's teams. The tournament was played from November 24 to November 27, 2025.

After the 2024 edition featured 8 teams, the 2025 edition was expanded to 18 teams. Oregon were the defending champions. Every participating team was guaranteed at least $1 million in NIL. An additional $12 million was given to teams based on performance. ^{[1] [2] [3]}

Standings

Men's

Point differentials for each game are capped at a maximum of twenty points, even if a team wins by more than twenty. First tie break is average margin of victory, second tie break is total points scored and the third tiebreak is total points allowed.

Team	GP	W	L	PD [a]	PF	PA	Qualification
Michigan	2	2	0	+40	196	126	Advanced to Championship Game
Gonzaga	2	2	0	+30	195	146
Tennessee	2	2	0	+23	161	133	Advanced to 3rd Place Game
Kansas	2	2	0	+21	142	121
Iowa State	2	2	0	+19	161	142	Consolation Games
St. John's	2	1	1	+14	178	164
Alabama	2	1	1	+10	200	162
Houston	2	1	1	+1	151	150
San Diego State	2	1	1	-3	151	174
Notre Dame	2	1	1	-5	129	134
Baylor	2	1	1	-8	162	170
Auburn	2	1	1	-9	156	175
Maryland	2	1	1	-13	135	167
Syracuse	2	0	2	-15	134	149
Creighton	2	0	2	-25	134	159
Rutgers	2	0	2	-25	123	153
UNLV	2	0	2	-27	143	189
Oregon	2	0	2	-28	153	181

Bracket

Men's

Group Stage

Date	Time	Winning Team	Losing Team	Score	Location	Television	Attendance
November 24, 2025	10:00 AM	No. 17 Tennessee	Rutgers	85–60	MGM Grand Garden Arena	TNT
	12:30 PM	Kansas	Notre Dame	71–61
	3:00 PM	No. 3 Houston	Syracuse	78–74OT
	6:30 PM	No. 12 Gonzaga	No. 8 Alabama	95–85
	9:00 PM	Maryland	UNLV	74–67
	11:00 AM	Baylor	Creighton	81–74	Michelob Ultra Arena	TruTV
	1:30 PM	No. 15 Iowa State	No. 14 St. John's	83–82
	5:00 PM	No. 21 Auburn	Oregon	84–73
	7:30 PM	No. 7 Michigan	San Diego State	94–54
November 25, 2025	10:00 AM	Notre Dame	Rutgers	68–63	MGM Grand Garden Arena	TNT
	12:30 PM	Kansas	Syracuse	71–60
	3:00 PM	No. 17 Tennessee	No. 3 Houston	76–73
	6:30 PM	No. 12 Gonzaga	Maryland	100–61		TruTV
	9:00 PM	No. 8 Alabama	UNLV	115–76
	11:30 AM	No. 15 Iowa State	Creighton	78–60	Michelob Ultra Arena
	2:00 PM	No. 14 St. John's	Baylor	96–81
	5:30 PM	No. 7 Michigan	No. 21 Auburn	102–72		TNT
	8:00 PM	San Diego State	Oregon	97–80

Times are PST. Winning teams in bold. Source: ^[4]

Consolation Games

Consolation Game November 26 TNT Syracuse 64 15 Iowa State 95 Consolation Game November 26 TNT Notre Dame 56 3 Houston 66

Consolation Game November 26 truTV 14 St. John’s 74 21 Auburn 85 Consolation Game November 26 truTV Baylor 91 San Diego State 81

Consolation Game November 26 TNT 8 Alabama 105 Maryland 72 Consolation Game November 27 truTV Oregon 66 Creighton 76

Consolation Game November 27 truTV UNLV 65 Rutgers 80

Championship Day

3rd Place Game November 26 TNT Kansas 81 17 Tennessee 76

Championship Game November 26 TNT 7 Michigan 101 12 Gonzaga 61

Women's

	Semifinals November 26 TruTV					Championship November 27 TruTV
	4	Texas	76
	3	UCLA	65
						4	Texas	66
						2	South Carolina	64
		Duke	66
	2	South Carolina	83			Consolation November 27 TruTV
						3	UCLA	89
							Duke	59

Times are PST. Source: ^[5]

Broadcasting

TNT Sports holds the exclusive rights to broadcast the 2025 Players Era Festival. Unlike last season, games will air only on TNT or TruTV. All games will additionally stream on HBO Max. ^[6]

The commentary teams for the tournament are as follows

1. Brian Anderson, Grant Hill, and Lauren Jbara (lead)
2. Brandon Gaudin, Candace Parker or Robbie Hummel, and Nabil Karim
3. Spero Dedes, Greg Anthony, and Jared Greenberg
4. JB Long, Candace Parker, and Autumn Johnson or Chelsea Sherrod

Notes

1. Capped at 20 per game

References

1. Norlander, Matt (November 23, 2025). "Big tournament, bigger money: How the Players Era event is changing college basketball in just its second year". CBS Sports. Retrieved November 24, 2025.
2. O'Donnell, Ricky (November 24, 2025). "Players Era Festival schedule and updates from college basketball's $30 million event". SB Nation. Retrieved November 24, 2025.
3. Leuzzi, John (November 24, 2025). "Players Era tournament 2025: Bracket, teams, schedule for college basketball event". USA Today. Retrieved November 24, 2025.
4. "Men's Championship".
5. "Men's Championship".
6. "TNT Sports Announces Commentators for GEICO Players Era Men's & Women's Championships". TNT Sports. November 18, 2025. Retrieved November 24, 2025.