November Madness: The Players Era Festival Wants To Expand To 32 College Hoops Teams With Group Stage Play, Teams Playing For NIL Money

[Source] - Details are still ongoing and far from finalized, but broadly speaking, here is how it would work, according to sources: In 2026, the PEF would take place over multiple weeks in the first month of the 2026-27 season, with group-stage play (a la FIFA World Cup format) probably staged in multiple cities, not just Las Vegas. After teams play in group-stage competition, the event would become a premier four-bracket concept held in Las Vegas. 

I was wondering when we'd get to this point in the college basketball world. The Players Era Festival started this year with 8 teams, two groups where you played 3 games and the winners of each group played each other. Based on what you won is how much NIL money your program won. It's the new era as much as we've ever seen it. I don't hate the idea of teams playing for NIL money, at least you have to win to get some sort of payment.

But, here are my 2 problems.

1) The single best thing in college basketball outside of the NCAA Tournament is the Maui Invitational. This feels like it will almost nearly kill the Maui Invitational and I will not stand for that. We need the Maui to survive the way it is. 8 teams, the perfect Feast Week Tournament, the best thing we have. It's given us memorable moments and decades worth of memories. I refuse to let that die.

2) If this goes to 32 teams, get mid-majors involved. This can't just be a power conference Tournament. Let the mid-majors get a million bucks or whatever if they win. See if maybe a Drake or a South Dakota State or something can go win this. It prevents people from bitching that it's just another avenue for the biggest programs to get money. 

Now, I will say I do like the idea of a November Madness event. We fucking love brackets, it doesn't matter the sport or the time of the year. You give us a bracket, we get invested. As Norlander states here, the whole idea is based on the vote to let teams play 32 regular season games vs 31. If we get this too, it at least keeps some big name non-conference games going. But I do hate that this would be on neutral courts. We need as many home-and-homes as possible. 

This always felt inevitable. It always felt like this was going to grow and this NIL Tournament would be what every program wants to play in. Right off the bat I don't love the idea of it. Are the same 32 teams playing every year? What about if you win your first round game the year prior you get to play in it? We used to have the previous years Elite Eight teams play in an event the following year. Bring that back. Just save Maui. That's all I care about.