‘November Madness’ Incoming? Players Era Festival to Expand to 32 Teams for 2026 Tournament

The Players Era Festival, a NIL event centered in Las Vegas that pays college basketball players millions and made its debut with eight teams this season, is growing once more, and in a way that has never been seen before.

Players Era (PEF) is expanding to 18 clubs for the upcoming season, as was previously stated, but 2026 is the year that could make history. According to sources who spoke to CBS Sports, event organizers intend to have a massive 32-team tournament in November 2026, making the PEF by far the largest non-NCAA Tournament event in college basketball history.

Details are still being finalized, but here’s a general overview of the plan based on insider information: In 2026, the PEF is expected to unfold over several weeks during the opening month of the 2026-27 season. The group-stage matches, similar to the FIFA World Cup format, will likely be held in various cities rather than being limited to Las Vegas. Following the group stages, the event will transition into a prestigious four-bracket tournament hosted in Las Vegas.

The concept aims to frame the college basketball season with two significant events: “March Madness” at the conclusion and “November Madness” at the start.

It would dwarf all previous November multi-team events and significantly change the structure of college basketball’s nonconference season if/when the Players Era is able to field 32 teams.

Additionally, a four-team women’s field (Duke, Texas, South Carolina, and UCLA) is scheduled for 2025, with the possibility of expanding the women’s pool in 2026.

Behind all the hype and focus of the NCAA Tournament, a little-known breakthrough in college basketball this week is set to make an innovative idea possible: A small expansion of the men’s and women’s regular season from 31 to 32 games has been suggested by the Division I Men’s and Women’s Basketball Oversight Committees. The possibility of a 32-team playoff event becomes even more likely if the college basketball season permits 32 regular-season games.

Alabama, Auburn, Baylor, Creighton, Gonzaga, Houston, Iowa State, Kansas, Michigan, Notre Dame, Oregon, Rutgers, San Diego State, St. John’s, Syracuse, Tennessee, Texas A&M, and Saint Joseph’s are among the teams that have committed to Players Era for 2025. In 2026, many (if not all) of those will perform. In the first event in 2024, Oregon defeated Alabama.

In order to create a 32-team competition with major brands and teams whose rosters are anticipated to be among the top 25 for that season, sources stated that some spots for the 2026 tournament will be held off and saved until the spring of 2026, though a few more prestigious schools are expected to fill spots in the upcoming months.