College basketball’s November calendar just became even more loaded after Players Era expansion

In total, 13 of the 24 teams made the 2026 NCAA Tournament, while 10 programs currently appear in ESPN’s Way-Too-Early Top 25 rankings.

That kind of concentration of elite teams is unusual this early in the season, especially outside traditional March Madness settings.

ESPN partnership shows how much college basketball is changing

The television agreement with ESPN may be just as important as the field itself. Every game from both tournaments will air across ESPN platforms, giving the event a massive national spotlight at a time when college basketball continues leaning further into marquee nonconference inventory.

The sport’s calendar has changed dramatically in the NIL era. November tournaments are no longer just résumé-builders. They are now branding opportunities, television properties and recruiting showcases all rolled into one. Players Era embraced that shift immediately by tying NIL compensation directly into participation. The event launched in 2024 with an eight-team field and the promise of at least $1 million in NIL opportunities for participating programs.

Now, only two years later, the tournament has exploded into a 24-team event featuring some of the biggest brands in the sport.

MORE: Bill Self adds proven scorer as Kansas lands another portal commitment

Las Vegas becoming center of early-season college basketball

Las Vegas continues strengthening its grip on college basketball’s biggest neutral-site events, and Players Era is becoming a major reason why. The city already hosts high-profile conference tournaments and major November showcases, but this event is carving out its own identity because of the combination of elite teams, NIL money and postseason-style formatting.

Last season’s format drew criticism because teams were guaranteed games regardless of results, with scoring margin helping determine later matchups. The move to true bracket play changes the feel entirely. Now the games carry cleaner stakes, sharper storylines and a much more familiar tournament atmosphere.

For fans, it means heavyweight matchups arriving weeks before conference play even begins. For programs, it creates another high-pressure environment that looks and feels much closer to March than November.

And judging by the caliber of teams already committed, the sport’s biggest brands clearly want in.

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• Ailing Yaxel Lendeborg did his best, but it was Elliot Cadeau who pushed Michigan to the top
• Darryn Peterson situation not alarming to NBA teams, ESPN insider says
• Michael Malone receives bad news about incoming four-star UNC transfer