2025 Players Era Thanksgiving Festival: Bracket, Schedule, teams, Date, times, how to watch, tv channels, prize money.

Las Vegas will once again be the place to be during Feast Week this college basketball season.

Coined "November Mania," the Players Era Men's Championship announced its schedule for the newly expanded 18-team men's basketball NIL multi-team event in November in Las Vegas on July 14, and to no surprise, it's quite loaded.

Then called the Players Era Festival, the NIL-driven event by storm last season and has quickly become a must-play event with NCAA Tournament caliber teams, so much so that teams paid their way out of already scheduled multi-team events to participate in it last season.

Headlining the first two days of competition in Las Vegas is Gonzaga vs. Alabama on Wednesday, Nov. 25. Preceding the Bulldogs and Crimson Tide on Nov. 25 is St. John's vs. Iowa State, two teams that are notoriously known for their defense under Rick Pitino and T.J. Otzelberger.

When is the 2025 Players Era Festival men's championship?

The four-day multi-team event will take place in Las Vegas at MGM Grand Garden Arena and Michelob Ultra Arena from Monday, Nov. 24 through Thursday, Nov. 27 with the championship game taking place on Wednesday, Nov. 26.

Players Era Championship bracket 2025: full teams list

The returning teams to the Players Era Festival include Alabama, Houston, Rutgers, Notre Dame, Oregon, San Diego State and Creighton. The only team that isn't returning to the Players Era Championship from last year's field, which Oregon won, is Texas A&M. The Aggies were replaced in the field by Maryland, which hired away Buzz Williams from Texas A&M this offseason.

Here's a full breakdown of who is competing in the 2025 Players Era Men's Championship:

Alabama

Auburn

Baylor

Creighton

Gonzaga

Houston

Iowa State

Kansas

Maryland

Michigan

Notre Dame

Oregon

Rutgers

San Diego State

St. John's

Syracuse

UNLV

Tennessee

2025 Players Era Festival TV Schedule, scores, how to watch, game times

All times ET. Games at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Monday, Nov. 24

No. 16 Tennessee 85, Rutgers 60

Baylor 81, Creighton 74

Kansas 71, Notre Dame 61

No. 13 Iowa State 83, No. 15 St. John's 82

No. 2 Houston 78, Syracuse 74 (OT)

No. 25 Auburn 84, Oregon 73

No. 10 Gonzaga 95, No. 9 Alabama 85

No. 6 Michigan 94, San Diego State 54

Maryland 74, UNLV 67

Tuesday, Nov. 25

Notre Dame 68, Rutgers 63

No. 13 Iowa State 78, Creighton 60

Kansas 71, Syracuse 60

No. 15 St. John's 96, Baylor 81

No. 16 Tennessee 76, No. 2 Houston 73

No. 6 Michigan 102, No. 25 Auburn 72

No. 12 Gonzaga 100. Maryland | 61

Oregon 80, San Diego State | 97

UNLV 76 . Alabama 115

Wednesday, Nov. 26 (Championship Day)

Wednesday, Nov. 26

1. No. 15 Iowa State 95, Syracuse 64

2. No. 3 Houston 66, Notre Dame 56.

Third-place game: Kansas vs. No. 16 Tennessee

3. No. 16 St. John's 74, No. 25 Auburn 85

Championship: No. 7 Michigan 101, No. 12 Gonzaga 61

Baylor 91, San Diego State 81

No. 8 Alabama 105, Maryland 72

Thursday, Nov. 27

Creighton 76, Oregon 66

Rutgers 80, UNLV 65

Who won the 2025 Player's Era championship game?

Given the criteria, the games for Wednesday match the top four teams.

Championship Game: 9:30 p.m. ET | TNT | Watch on Max

Michigan beat Gonzaga 101-61 to win the 2025 Player's Era championship game

Third Place Game: 7 p.m. ET | TNT | Watch on Max

Tennessee 76 - 81 Kansas win the Player's Era third-place game

Michigan basketball went out to Las Vegas and hit the jackpot.

The No. 6 Wolverines ripped off their third straight victory over three nights, obliterating No. 10 Gonzaga, 101-61, to win the Players Era Festival championship – complete with a $1 million NIL bonus prize to split amongst the team.

This was billed as a heavyweight matchup in every regard – the 90.3 “thrill score” from KenPom was the highest in the site’s history for a non-conference matchup – and coach Dusty May's team made it look like a buy game.

Michigan Wolverines center Aday Mara (15) dunks while defended by Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Jalen Warley (8) in the first half in the 2025 Players Era Festival championship game at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025.

SHAWN WINDSOR: Michigan football is absolutely in the head of Ryan Day and Ohio State

On the heels of dog-walking San Diego State by 40 in the opener on Monday, Nov. 24, and then Auburn by 30 on Tuesday, U-M somehow saved its best for last. The Wolverines led by 10 less than four minutes in and the game never got inside double digits again; they built their halftime lead out to 24 – Gonzaga's largest deficit at the break since 2007.

2025 Women's Players Era Festival: TV Schedule, kick-off times, how to watch.

Wednesday, Nov. 26

No. 4 Texas 76, No. 3 UCLA 65

No. 2 South Carolina 83, Duke 66

Thursday, Nov. 27

Championship game: No. 4 Texas 66, No. 2 South Carolina 64

Third place: No. 3 UCLA 89, Duke 59

What is the Players Era Championship?

The Players Era Championship is a one-of-a-kind multi-team event that takes place during "Feast Week" of the college basketball season in November, during Thanksgiving week. Debuted during the 2024-25 season with an eight-team field, The Players Era Championship is a NIL-driven multi-team event with some of the best college basketball teams in the country.

2025 Player's Era tournament prize money, payout: How much are players paid?

Tournament CEO Seth Berger said every team in the tournament will receive "over $1 million on average" in name, image and likeness compensation, although exact value remains unclear. However, those in the championship and third-place game will get a bigger prize.

Berger added the tournament winner will receive an additional $1 million in NIL compensation, while the second-place finisher gets $500,000. Third place will receive a$300,000 and the fourth-place finisher gets $200,000.

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