Kansas Basketball Locks in 5-Year Extension with Players Era Tournament

The Kansas Jayhawks have secured a five-year extension with the Players Era Tournament in Las Vegas through the 2030-31 season.

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On Tuesday, it was announced that the Kansas basketball program has agreed to a five-year extension with Players Era. The extension allows KU to continue participating in the annual Players Era Festival in Las Vegas, Nevada, through the 2030-31 season.

KU first participated in the event in November 2025 where the Jayhawks went on an inspiring 3-0 streak with wins over Notre Dame, Syracuse, and Tennessee. The unique scoring format of the tournament – which takes into consideration points scored and point differential – caused the Jayhawks to finish third behind Gonzaga and tournament winner (and eventual national champion) Michigan.

The big allure of the Players Era Championship, besides the strong competition, is the Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) payouts to the top performing teams. Every participating team takes home a minimum of $1 million in NIL just for playing, with the potential for a bonus depending on performance.

The Jayhawks took home $300,000 in NIL bonus for their third place finish in 2025, and this year’s team will have the opportunity to take home $1 million in NIL bonuses should they win the 2026 Players Era Championship.

"The Players Era commitment to college basketball has been very impressive," Self said. "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."

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This year’s format

The Player Era Festival expanded to 24 teams this year, divided into two separate tournaments (Players Era Eight and Players Era Sixteen) taking place over two weeks. Kansas will be participating in the Players Era Eight, a single-elimination tournament that includes Houston, Florida, Notre Dame, UNLV, West Virginia, Rutgers, and Auburn.  

The Players Era Eight will take place Nov. 17-19 at the Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas. KU’s first game is against UNLV on Nov. 17 at approximately 8:30 p.m. CT (time subject to change). If KU wins, they’ll face the winner of West Virginia and Auburn the following night.   

All of the tournament’s games will be aired live on ESPN, and tickets are now available for purchase.