Players Era Festival in Vegas

[WestCoastWildcat]

The Players Era Festival men’s basketball tournament in Vegas has been fun to watch. The feature game tonite with ranked teams Michigan v Gonzaga will be coming up. A number of BigTen team are participating. The tournament is expanding next year to include more men’s teams as well as women’s teams next year. All teams receive a $1M to Patti late with additional incentives and payouts to teams and individual players.

I watched the Oregon v San Diego State game last nite and was not impressed by the Ducks as the Aztecs cruised to a 17 point win and were ahead by 20+ throughout the game,
the Ducks played a hot San Diego State team that shot an unreal 67% from the field and 45% from 3pt.

Oregon athletics seem to have unlimited resources for their athletics programs. Their basketball arena is first rate. They will probably improve by the time they play the Cats in Feb.

link to Players Era basketball tournament:

2025

The Future of College Basketball

www.playersera.com

The tournament format has drawn critics about format and the money going to teams and players, but the tournament is definitely attractive to players and programs as further adjustments will be made next year.

Millions in NIL Payouts Make Players Era the New Top Tournament

Players Era Tournament reshapes November hoops with million-dollar NIL payouts, top teams, and a field now eclipsing Maui and Atlantis.

www.communityvoiceks.com

 

[AdamOnFirst]

The Players Era Festival men’s basketball tournament in Vegas has been fun to watch. The feature game tonite with ranked teams Michigan v Gonzaga will be coming up. A number of BigTen team are participating. The tournament is expanding next year to include more men’s teams as well as women’s teams next year. All teams receive a $1M to Patti late with additional incentives and payouts to teams and individual players.

I watched the Oregon v San Diego State game last nite and was not impressed by the Ducks as the Aztecs cruised to a 17 point win and were ahead by 20+ throughout the game,
the Ducks played a hot San Diego State team that shot an unreal 67% from the field and 45% from 3pt.

Oregon athletics seem to have unlimited resources for their athletics programs. Their basketball arena is first rate. They will probably improve by the time they play the Cats in Feb.

link to Players Era basketball tournament:

2025

The Future of College Basketball

www.playersera.com

The tournament format has drawn critics about format and the money going to teams and players, but the tournament is definitely attractive to players and programs as further adjustments will be made next year.

Millions in NIL Payouts Make Players Era the New Top Tournament

Players Era Tournament reshapes November hoops with million-dollar NIL payouts, top teams, and a field now eclipsing Maui and Atlantis.

www.communityvoiceks.com

I’ve been thinking and wondering a lot lately how long it will be until bowl games are offering cash pools or sponsorship payments to football players, basketball is just ahead of the game

 

[WestCoastWildcat]

This Players Era tournament appears to be the “new normal” with the big bucks flying to attract top teams and players. The Maui Invitational used to be the big holiday tournament first in the blocks but thie Players Era tournament seems to be the big early tourney now. FWIW- Michigan dominated Gonzaga (not an bad program) early and went on to win in a blowout 101-61 so I don’t feel so bad about the Aztecs getting beat up by UM in a similar fashion.

It will be interesting which BT teams can keep up with Michigan- at #7 they will probably rank higher in the polls as a result of their performance the last few days. Hopefully the Cats will give UM a game when they play in Feb but the Wolverines are scary good. Go Cats!

 

[TheC]

Iowa State is 15th in the country and blew out Syracuse in that tournament. If we hung with them in that scrimmage game, it would be a good sign.

 

[olsh]

I think fewer people are upset with the payments as much as they are with the format, lack of bracket, etc.
This just furthers the AAU-ization of college basketball first, and other sports to follow.

I'm not sure it's a good thing. But it's a thing for sure. So adapt or die, I suppose.

 

[CoralSpringsCat]

I think fewer people are upset with the payments as much as they are with the format, lack of bracket, etc.
This just furthers the AAU-ization of college basketball first, and other sports to follow.

I'm not sure it's a good thing. But it's a thing for sure. So adapt or die, I suppose.

Format is a joke. Point differential is scary. I don’t think anyone will enjoy watching teams run up the score in order to justify their place in the standings.

Case in point:

 

[Catreporter]

Lots of empty seats at the games. A made-for-tv event to be sure, although I wonder how many people are really watching. I tuned in for short bursts once in a while, but I didn't find any of the games very compelling. Michigan has bought themselves a great team. It will be interesting to see how they matchup with Purdue who built a team the more traditional way.

 

[techtim72]

I wouldn't duck on the Gonzaga's of the world. They are perfectly capable of making you eat your words at an inopportune time like the NCAA Tournament.

 

[AdamOnFirst]

Format is a joke. Point differential is scary. I don’t think anyone will enjoy watching teams run up the score in order to justify their place in the standings.

Case in point:

You can grind the clock in basketball and end the game in a couple possessions, you gotta keep playing and shooting. If you’re hot, you’re hot

 

[Catreporter]

Home team UNLV barely has a quorum in the stands watching their game with Rutgers. Sorry, I'm not a big fan of this event.

 

[WestCoastWildcat]

The financing behind the tournament is perhaps game-changing and concerning. This tournament was created by equity partners who garnered corporate sponsors to underwrite the huge incentives to participants in the tournament. In addition, the Big12 as a conference also paid $50M as an equity partner to guarantee 8 slots in the tournament for their members thru 2030. Literally “pay to play”.
—————
“Perhaps the strongest signal of long-term stability (to the tournament) came Monday when the Big 12 purchased a multi-year, $50 million equity stake in the event. Beginning in 2026, eight Big 12 teams will receive automatic bids each year through 2030.”

Equity partnership buy-ins to college sports reflects an effort by individuals and groups to somehow get a slice of college sports financial pie. I think further research is required to understand the implications of the recent trend of Incursion of private equity into college sports.

 

[AdamOnFirst]

The financing behind the tournament is perhaps game-changing and concerning. This tournament was created by equity partners who garnered corporate sponsors to underwrite the huge incentives to participants in the tournament. In addition, the Big12 as a conference also paid $50M as an equity partner to guarantee 8 slots in the tournament for their members thru 2030. Literally “pay to play”.
—————
“Perhaps the strongest signal of long-term stability (to the tournament) came Monday when the Big 12 purchased a multi-year, $50 million equity stake in the event. Beginning in 2026, eight Big 12 teams will receive automatic bids each year through 2030.”

Equity partnership buy-ins to college sports reflects an effort by individuals and groups to somehow get a slice of college sports financial pie. I think further research is required to understand the implications of the recent trend of Incursion of private equity into college sports.

Nobody have a **** when we called it a bowl game, but now the players get a big piece and we don’t like it

A fight to get in a tournament like this is a big deal, this is a large payday for these players

 

[Catreporter]

Nobody have a **** when we called it a bowl game, but now the players get a big piece and we don’t like it

A fight to get in a tournament like this is a big deal, this is a large payday for these players

Is that what college sports are all about now? At least bowl games have actual fans there. Every time I tuned in this tourney, it was just a big, empty arena, sort of like a TV studio.

 

[Hungry Jack]

Is that what college sports are all about now? At least bowl games have actual fans there. Every time I tuned in this tourney, it was just a big, empty arena, sort of like a TV studio.

Like COVID hockey

 

[techtim72]

Is that what college sports are all about now? At least bowl games have actual fans there. Every time I tuned in this tourney, it was just a big, empty arena, sort of like a TV studio.

Opportunity to place bets. Like watching the dog races.

 

[Styre]

Is that what college sports are all about now? At least bowl games have actual fans there. Every time I tuned in this tourney, it was just a big, empty arena, sort of like a TV studio.

This is no different from any other MTE. Late November basketball is all about playing in empty arenas in bizarre places.

 

[AdamOnFirst]

Is that what college sports are all about now? At least bowl games have actual fans there. Every time I tuned in this tourney, it was just a big, empty arena, sort of like a TV studio.

Nothing new

 

[Secho99]

Format is a joke. Point differential is scary. I don’t think anyone will enjoy watching teams run up the score in order to justify their place in the standings.

Case in point:

I don’t love using point differential either but they did cap it at 20 per game for this tourney so there was no specific incentive to win by 40. I guess it might encourage you to keep your starters in longer to keep a huge lead from shrinking down under 20.

 

[CoralSpringsCat]

I don’t love using point differential either but they did cap it at 20 per game for this tourney so there was no specific incentive to win by 40. I guess it might encourage you to keep your starters in longer to keep a huge lead from shrinking down under 20.

Didn’t realize that…makes more sense now. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Baz = Heisman]

This is no different from any other MTE. Late November basketball is all about playing in empty arenas in bizarre places.

Yes it is. The other MTEs for the most part have history. This is just a dirty NIL money laundering scheme (most likely). Maui and the Battle 4 Atlantis basically are shells of themselves thanks to this UAE-funded event. Middle Eastern money is nasty business.

 

[Styre]

Yes it is. The other MTEs for the most part have history. This is just a dirty NIL money laundering scheme (most likely). Maui and the Battle 4 Atlantis basically are shells of themselves thanks to this UAE-funded event. Middle Eastern money is nasty business.

I'm just talking about the atmosphere. Maui wasn't packed to the rafters with screaming fans in years past. But yes, this is an event designed to funnel NIL money to the top programs.

 

[AdamOnFirst]

I'm just talking about the atmosphere. Maui wasn't packed to the rafters with screaming fans in years past. But yes, this is an event designed to funnel NIL money to the top programs.

God forbid