Additional Details Released on Louisville's 2026 Appearance in Players Era

The Cardinals are heading to Las Vegas for Thanksgiving.

Mar 18, 2026; Buffalo, NY, USA; Louisville Cardinals head coach Pat Kelsey answer questions during the press conference ahead of the first round of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Keybank Center. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - After learning last fall that the Louisville men's basketball program had inked a multi-year deal with the Players Era Festival, we now know some additional details regarding the Cardinals' first appearance in the event for this upcoming season.

On Thursday, ESPN announced that they had reached a multi-year agreement with the multi-team event to be their exclusive broadcast partner.

Now known as the Players Era Men's Championship, the MTE has expanded from 18 teams in last year's field, to 24 for the 2026 iteration. The event has shifted formats from pool play style to a more traditional bracket style, and the 24 participants will be split into two separate tournaments.

The week of Nov. 16 will feature the "Players Era 8," with Auburn, Florida, Houston, Kansas, Notre Dame, Rutgers, UNLV and West Virginia making up the field.

During the week of Nov. 23, which is Thanksgiving Week, is when the "Players Era 16" - the field in which Louisville was assigned to - will take place. Alongside UofL is Alabama, Baylor, Creighton, Gonzaga, Iowa State, Kansas State, Maryland, Miami, Michigan, Oregon, San Diego State, St. John’s, TCU, Tennessee, Texas Tech

Like the first two iterations, the event will take place in Las Vegas, Nevada. The exact draw, schedules and venues will be determined latter this offseason, although all 37 games will be broadcast on the ESPN family of networks.

The Player's Era Men's Championship is similar to other MTE's such as the Maui Invitational or Battle 4 Atlantis, however, unlike other early season hoops tournaments, participants and the winner are given a Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) payout. Each participating team will be given an average of $1 million (some participants will get more than others), while the winner will receive an additional $1 million.

Oregon won the inaugural eight-team event in 2024, while reigning national championship Michigan won it last season. Louisville signed a four-year deal with the Players Era last September, and will make their first appearance this fall.

Despite losing 11 members from their roster, Louisville has been generating a ton of buzz for next season. They are bringing in a six-man transfer class that ranks No. 1 in the nation, consisting of Kansas forward/center Flory Bidunga, USC center Gabe Dynes, Iowa forward Alvaro Folgueiras, Arkansas wing Karter Knox, Dayton guard De'Shayne Montgomery and Oregon guard Jackson Shelstad. Five-star 2026 center Obinna Ekezie Jr. is also joining the fold, while guards London Johnson and Adrian Wooley are returning.

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(Photo of Pat Kelsey: Gregory Fisher - Imagn Images)