What Rick Barnes said about Tennessee Basketball joining Players Era Festival

Tennessee Basketball on Thursday announced it has officially joined the field for the Players Era Festival at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and will be part of the tournament for the next three years.

It was widely reported on Tuesday that the Vols would be the 18th team to join the 2025 field for the week-long tournament, which provides programs with guaranteed NIL money. Kansas and Auburn were the latest additions before Tennessee joined.

The 2025 field so far consists of Alabama, Auburn, Baylor, Creighton, Gonzaga, Houston, Iowa State, Michigan, Notre Dame, Oregon, Rutgers, San Diego State, St. Joe’s, St. John’s, Syracuse and Texas A&M. The tournament will use a group-play format given the number of teams involved next season.

“Our program is thrilled to join the Players Era Men’s Championship field,” Tennessee coach Rick Barnes said in a press release. “This is a tremendous event featuring some of the very best teams in the sport, at a destination location.

“We always try to test ourselves during non-conference play and it is hard to find a better way to do that than through this tournament. It will help prepare us for the rigors of SEC competition and will serve as an excellent experience for our student-athletes.”

Players Era Festival paid $9 million in NIL this season

Oregon beat Alabama to win the inaugural men’s Players Era championship in November. The eight-team 2024 field included Creighton, San Diego State, Houston, Texas A&M, Rutgers and Notre Dame, along with the Ducks and Crimson Tide.

The Players Era website describes the tournament as “a week-long celebration of college basketball, taking place Thanksgiving week in Las Vegas, featuring elite players, teams and coaches. In addition, an innovative format designed to invigorate early season tournament competition before the start of conference play, there will also be financial education programs, and multiple on-call NIL opportunities for players. 

The tournament “is committed to providing $9 million in NIL to college basketball players in 2024 for their engagement in activities separate and apart from competition, and more than $50 million in NIL over the next three years. For these NIL payments, players will perform services and activities fully compliant with current NCAA regulations.”

Vols have won in-season tournament titles twice in last three years

Tennessee has won an in-season tournament title two of the last three seasons. The Vols this season beat Virginia and Baylor on back-to-back nights in The Bahamas to win the four-team Baha Mar Championship. 

Tennessee won the Battle 4 Atlantis in The Bahamas in November 2022 and last season finished fourth in the Maui Invitational. In November 2021 the Vols were part of the Hall of Fame Tip-Off tournament at Mohegan Sun in Connecticut.

In November 2019 Tennessee played in the Emerald Coast Classic in Florida and the Vols have twice been to New York for Feast Week, playing in the Barclays Center Classic in 2015, the first year of the Barnes era, and in the NIT Season Tip-Off in 2018.

“Tennessee is an exceptional program with one of the best coaches in college basketball,” Players ERA CEO Seth Berger said. “Adding them to the Players Era Men’s Championship field for the next three seasons strengthens our field and elevates the unrivaled level of competition.

“Thanks to Coach Barnes for his support and commitment to Players Era. We are looking forward to seeing them compete for an SEC and NCAA title this year, and can’t wait to see them in Las Vegas next November.”