K-State to Participate in 2026 Players Era Field
Jan 22, 2026 | Men's Basketball
The Wildcats will join seven other Big 12 teams in the field next season.
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State has received an invitation to participate in the expanded 2026 Players Era Men's Championship Field, which will take place in Las Vegas, Nev., during the Thanksgiving Week.
"We are excited about the opportunity to play in the Players Era next season," said head coach Jerome Tang. "It has become the preeminent in-season tournament for college basketball, and we can't wait for our players to enjoy a top-notch experience in the Entertainment Capital of the World – Las Vegas."
K-State joins TCU, Texas Tech and West Virginia in the expanded 32-team Players Era field, alongside existing Big 12 participants Baylor, Houston, Kansas and Iowa State. The Big 12 and the Players Era recently announced a first-of-its-kind partnership that guarantees the Big 12 with eight teams in next year's expanded tournament field.
After debuting with eight teams for its inaugural tournament in 2024, the Players Era Men's Championship expanded to 18 teams for the 2025 edition. Oregon won the first tournament championship over Alabama in 2024, while Michigan defeated Gonzaga this past season.
The tournament games are played at MGM Grand Arena and Michelob Ultra Arena.
"We are excited to welcome four more Big 12 teams into the 2026 Players Era Championship: Texas Tech, TCU, West Virginia and K-State. Having eight Big 12 teams guarantees that we will have the strongest field ever for what is becoming the second biggest tournament in college basketball," said Players Era CEO Seth Berger.
Players Era will announce additional information about the 2026 tournament field and format in the coming weeks.
How to follow the 'Cats: For complete information on K-State men's basketball, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team's social media channels on X, Instagram and Facebook.
"We are excited about the opportunity to play in the Players Era next season," said head coach Jerome Tang. "It has become the preeminent in-season tournament for college basketball, and we can't wait for our players to enjoy a top-notch experience in the Entertainment Capital of the World – Las Vegas."
K-State joins TCU, Texas Tech and West Virginia in the expanded 32-team Players Era field, alongside existing Big 12 participants Baylor, Houston, Kansas and Iowa State. The Big 12 and the Players Era recently announced a first-of-its-kind partnership that guarantees the Big 12 with eight teams in next year's expanded tournament field.
After debuting with eight teams for its inaugural tournament in 2024, the Players Era Men's Championship expanded to 18 teams for the 2025 edition. Oregon won the first tournament championship over Alabama in 2024, while Michigan defeated Gonzaga this past season.
The tournament games are played at MGM Grand Arena and Michelob Ultra Arena.
"We are excited to welcome four more Big 12 teams into the 2026 Players Era Championship: Texas Tech, TCU, West Virginia and K-State. Having eight Big 12 teams guarantees that we will have the strongest field ever for what is becoming the second biggest tournament in college basketball," said Players Era CEO Seth Berger.
Players Era will announce additional information about the 2026 tournament field and format in the coming weeks.
How to follow the 'Cats: For complete information on K-State men's basketball, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team's social media channels on X, Instagram and Facebook.
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