Sports

Alabama Basketball Competing in Third Players Era Event with New Expansion

By Hunter De Siver Sports Illustrated
Nov 25, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide forward London Jemison (6) shoots a free throw in the first half against UNLV Rebels in a 2025 Players Era Festival group play game at MGM Grand Garden Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images.
Nov 25, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide forward London Jemison (6) shoots a free throw in the first half against UNLV Rebels in a 2025 Players Era Festival group play game at MGM Grand Garden Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images. Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Alabama basketball will compete in the third annual Players Era Championships in Las Vegas in November, per ESPN's Jeff Borzello.

The Crimson Tide participated in the first two Players Era Festivals and each of them had different formats. This year's event also has alterations as it is expanding to 24 teams, which will be split into two separate bracket-play tournaments over the course of two weeks.

Alabama is part of the second session, which will be held on Thanksgiving Week and will be known as The Players Era Sixteen. The following teams will join the Crimson Tide: reigning national champion Michigan, Gonzaga, St. John's, Louisville, Tennessee, Iowa State, Miami, Texas Tech, Baylor, Maryland, TCU, Oregon, Creighton, San Diego State and Kansas State.

The week of November 16 will feature The Players Era Eight: Florida, Houston, Kansas, Auburn, West Virginia, Notre Dame, Rutgers and UNLV.

Schedules and venues will be announced later this offseason.

Alabama fell to Oregon in the inaugural Players Era Festival Championship in 2024 via an 8-team tournament format. In 2025, the event expanded to 18 teams, but the title game was determined by point differential from two play-in games. The Crimson Tide fell to Gonzaga in its first matchup, which essentially took head coach Nate Oats and company out of the race. But UA proceeded to obliterate UNLV before taking down Maryland in a third contest.

This story will be updated.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/alabama as Alabama Basketball Competing in Third Players Era Event with New Expansion.

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This story was originally published May 7, 2026 at 9:28 AM.