Alabama basketball on board to play in NIL-driven event in Las Vegas
Alabama is on board to participate in an NIL-driven college basketball event in Las Vegas later this year, according to a report from CBS Sports. The “Players Era Festival” is set to take place during Thanksgiving week, which is common in late November. What sets this apart from the rest, however, is players will be paid thanks to name, image and likeness.
The event will include $1 million payouts for the eight participating schools. The Crimson Tide is one of them, along with Houston, Notre Dame, Oregon, Rutgers, San Diego State and Texas A&M, according to CBS Sports. The eighth and final team for the 2024 event, which is expected to be finalized soon, will emerge from a small group that is still being decided.
Per CBS Sports, the tentative schedule is for games to be played on Nov. 26, 27 and 29 with Thanksgiving Day off. The Players Era Festival event is in the final negotiating stages with MGM Resorts International to have contests at any or all of its three venues – T-Mobile Arena, MGM Grand Garden Arena and Michelob ULTRA Arena. It is still being decided whether it will be a single 8-team tournament bracket or two separate multi-team events.
This will be the first year of the event, which is one of a kind, but CBS Sports reports the hope is to increase the field to 16 teams in 2025. Alabama could be making its way back to Las Vegas in 2025, as many of the teams have already signed up for a 3-year agreement.
Alabama faced two of the six teams who are on board for the 2024 event and defeated both Oregon and Texas A&M in the 2023-24 season. The Crimson Tide faced Oregon in the Emerald Coast Classic and won 99-91 in Destin, Florida, while it hosted the Aggies at Coleman Coliseum on Feb. 17 and won convincingly on its home floor, 100-75, in league play. Alabama also recently added a Rutgers player with center Clifford Omoruyi’s commitment.
The Players Era Festival is the latest in a line of strong scheduling for coach Nate Oats, who is entering his sixth year at Alabama. UA will welcome Creighton in Tuscaloosa on Dec. 14 and will face Arizona in Birmingham, both as parts of home-and-home series. The Tide should also play in the ACC/SEC Challenge, although matchups have not been announced.
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