Kansas will be back in Las Vegas every November for the foreseeable future.
The Players Era men’s basketball tournament announced a five-year contract extension with the Jayhawks, locking Kansas into three games in Las Vegas each November through the 2030-31 season. KU went 3-0 in its first run through the event last season, beating Notre Dame, Syracuse and Tennessee.
This year’s trip already has its outline. Kansas opens against UNLV on Nov. 17, then faces either Auburn or West Virginia on Nov.
- The Jayhawks’ third game comes Nov. 19 against one of four possible opponents: Notre Dame, Florida, Houston or Rutgers.
All of those games will be played at Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay.
KU coach Bill Self praised the event’s growth and the benefits it has created for the program and its players.
“The Players Era commitment to college basketball has been very impressive,” KU basketball coach Bill Self said in a release. “They have brought in high level teams which creates great matchups during the pre-conference season.
The Players Era has also produced great NIL opportunities for our players. Being locked in through the 2030-31 season is a reinforcement of the direction the Players Era is moving.
Not only is it great for our players but it allows our fans to plan vacations to come cheer on the Jayhawks,” he added.
The tournament’s place in the Big 12 picture was also part of the broader announcement last year, when the league agreed to a five-year deal that gives it a 15% stake and guaranteed minimum annual revenues in exchange for supplying at least eight teams to the field. The Players Era features an eight-team event the week before Thanksgiving and a 16-team event during Thanksgiving week.
Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas State, TCU and Texas Tech are slated for this year’s 16-team tournament, which runs Nov. 24-28. Kansas, Houston and West Virginia are part of the eight-team event.
Players Era CEO Seth Berger said the return of Kansas underscores what the tournament has become.
“We’re grateful to have Kansas, one of the preeminent collegiate basketball programs, return for the next several years. It’s an extraordinary testament to what we’re building here with Player’s Era - a competition that delivers an exceptional experience for both fans and student-athletes alike in an atmosphere that feels like March in November.”
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