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Michigan to take on San Diego State, Auburn in Players Era Festival

clayton-sayfieby: Clayton Sayfie07/01/25CSayf23
Dusty May
Michigan Wolverines basketball head coach Dusty May at the NCAA Tournament. (Photo by Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images)

Michigan Wolverines basketball has two exciting matchups at the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas the week of Thanksgiving, set to take on San Diego State (Monday, Nov. 24) and Auburn (Tuesday, Nov. 25).

Here’s Michigan’s schedule for the first two days, leading into the Wednesday (Nov. 26) championship and consolation games:
• Monday, Nov. 24: vs. San Diego State — 10:30 p.m. ET
• Tuesday, Nov. 25: vs. Auburn — 8:30 p.m. ET

The tournament will be held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena and Michelob Ultra Arena.

“Teams that go 2-0 on Monday and Tuesday will pool into the championship round on Wednesday,” CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander wrote. “With only two game results to determine who gets to play for the championship and the inevitability of more than two teams being 2-0 by the end of Tuesday, point differential, total points scored and points allowed will all affect the tally and serve as tiebreakers, just like in 2024. Oregon won the inaugural 2024 event over Alabama.”

The teams participating in the event are Michigan, San Diego State, Auburn, Alabama, Baylor, Creighton, Gonzaga, Houston, Iowa State, Kansas, Maryland, Notre Dame, Rutgers, St. John’s, Syracuse, Tennessee, Oregon and UNLV.

Every school is assured $1 million for participating in the event, and the total pot for NIL-related earnings this year is over $20 million, per CBS Sports. Games will be broadcast on TNT, TBS and streaming on HBO Max.

Michigan’s two set matchups are interesting for different reasons. The Wolverines will take on former U-M assistant coach Brian Dutcher, who’s entering his ninth season as the head man of San Diego State. The Aztecs were also the team that knocked out Michigan head coach Dusty May‘s Florida Atlantic Owls on a buzzer beater in the Final Four in 2023.

The showdown with Auburn will be a rematch of last season’s Sweet 16 game in Atlanta in which the Tigers won 78-65. Michigan was leading by nine points in the second half but couldn’t hang on in front of a pro-Auburn crowd.

The Wolverines have a strong non-conference schedule once again. The slate includes matchups with Wake Forest (in Detroit Nov. 11), Duke (in Washington D.C. Feb. 21) and TCU (home game, date TBD). The Wolverines are also reportedly finalizing a deal for a home-and-home series with Villanova, which would begin with a home game at Crisler Center this coming season and return trip to Philadelphia in 2026-27.

Michigan received its Big Ten schedule draw, and the dates of each game are still to be announced.
Home: Indiana, Minnesota, Nebraska, Rutgers, UCLA, USC, Wisconsin
Away: Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Northwestern, Oregon, Purdue, Washington
Home/Away: Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State

2025 Players Era Festival schedule (according to CBS Sports)

All times ET

Monday, Nov. 24
No. 22 Tennessee vs. Rutgers, 1 p.m.
Baylor vs. Creighton, 2 p.m. 
No. 18 Kansas vs. Notre Dame, 3:30 p.m. 
No. 1 St. John’s vs. No. 13 Iowa State, 4:30 p.m. 
No. 2 Houston vs. Syracuse, 6 p.m. 
No. 17 Oregon vs. No. 19 Auburn, 8 p.m. 
No. 14 Alabama vs. No. 21 Gonzaga, 9:30 p.m. 
No. 8 Michigan vs. San Diego State, 10:30 p.m. 
Maryland vs. UNLV, midnight


Tuesday, Nov. 25
Rutgers vs. Notre Dame, 1 p.m. 
No. 13 Iowa State vs. Creighton, 2:30 p.m. 
No. 18 Kansas vs. Syracuse, 3:30 p.m 
No. 1 St. John’s vs. Baylor, 5 p.m. 
No. 2 Houston vs. No. 22 Tennessee, 6 p.m. 
No. 8 Michigan vs. No. 19 Auburn, 8:30 p.m. 
No. 21 Gonzaga vs. Maryland, 9:30 p.m. 
No. 17 Oregon vs. San Diego State, 11 p.m. 
No. 14 Alabama vs. UNLV, midnight 

Wednesday, Nov. 26
Consolation/third-place game: 7 p.m. 
Championship game: 9:30 p.m. 

> All other matchups dependent on Monday/Tuesday results

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