Report: Louisville basketball to join annual Players Era Festival in 4-year deal
According to CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander, the Louisville men’s basketball program has signed a four-year contract with the Players Era Festival tournament.
Louisville will take the court in the multi team tournament starting in November of 2026. Teams competing this winter in 2025 will play for an NIL-earnings pot north of $20 million. It is expected that all future Players Era Festival games will continue to be played in Las Vegas, Nevada at MGM Grand Garden Arena during Thanksgiving week.
The PEF hopes to get 32 teams involved in 2026 and beyond, targeting several big name schools. But, according to Norlander only 24 schools have signed contracts for the 2026 season, with the Cardinals, amongst others, signed on for several years.
In 2025, every school is already assured $1 million for participating; the straightforward incentive for additional financial rewards for the champion is a trailblazing concept in college sports, enabled by NIL legislation. This years round-robin tournament(s) will feature 18 teams.
The PEF was a massive success last season despite skepticism from sponsors, boosters, and donors. In 2024, the tournament proved profitability with eight teams competing over the course of Thanksgiving week. Notable teams taking part in this winter’s event include St. John’s, Kansas, Gonzaga, Houston, and Baylor.
Louisville basketball is less than a month away as Pat Kelsey and the Cards take on Kansas on Oct. 24 in an exhibition at the KFC Yum! Center.
