K-State to Play in Players Era Sixteen
May 07, 2026 | Men's Basketball
The tournament runs Nov. 23-29 in Las Vegas.
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State has received an invitation to participate in the 2026 Players Era Sixteen, which will played over five days during Thanksgiving Week in Las Vegas.
The Wildcats will be joined in the Players Era Sixteen field by Big 12 foes Baylor, Iowa State, TCU and Texas Tech, along with defending national champion Michigan, NCAA Tournament teams Alabama, Gonzaga, Louisville, Miami (Fla.), St. John's, Tennessee as well as Creighton, Maryland, Oregon and San Diego State. The tournament runs from Nov. 23-29.
The expanded 24-team event will be broken up into two tournaments – the Players Era Eight and the Players Era Sixteen – with the ESPN Family of Networks broadcasting all 37 games. The Players Era Eight, which includes Big 12 participants Houston, Kansas and West Virginia, will precede the Players Era Sixteen, as it will take place the week of Nov. 16-20.
Each of the tournaments will feature bracket play where a champion will be crowned.
Additional details – including matchups, schedule, broadcast information, venues and ticket on-sale dates – will be announced in the coming weeks.
In addition to broadcasting the games, ESPN Events will collaborate with the Players Era on all staging and operational elements of the two tournaments.
Earlier this year, the Big 12 and the Players Era announced a first-of-its-kind partnership that guarantees the Big 12 with eight teams in this 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.
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.
The Wildcats will be joined in the Players Era Sixteen field by Big 12 foes Baylor, Iowa State, TCU and Texas Tech, along with defending national champion Michigan, NCAA Tournament teams Alabama, Gonzaga, Louisville, Miami (Fla.), St. John's, Tennessee as well as Creighton, Maryland, Oregon and San Diego State. The tournament runs from Nov. 23-29.
The expanded 24-team event will be broken up into two tournaments – the Players Era Eight and the Players Era Sixteen – with the ESPN Family of Networks broadcasting all 37 games. The Players Era Eight, which includes Big 12 participants Houston, Kansas and West Virginia, will precede the Players Era Sixteen, as it will take place the week of Nov. 16-20.
Each of the tournaments will feature bracket play where a champion will be crowned.
Additional details – including matchups, schedule, broadcast information, venues and ticket on-sale dates – will be announced in the coming weeks.
In addition to broadcasting the games, ESPN Events will collaborate with the Players Era on all staging and operational elements of the two tournaments.
Earlier this year, the Big 12 and the Players Era announced a first-of-its-kind partnership that guarantees the Big 12 with eight teams in this 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.
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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