Kansas Signs Five-Year Deal to Play in Players Era Through 2030-31

Overview

• A five-year agreement announced Tuesday commits Kansas men’s basketball to the Players Era Festival through the 2030-31 season and secures the Jayhawks a spot in the tournament’s eight-team bracket.
• Kansas is slated to face UNLV in the first round of the Players Era Eight in Las Vegas as the event expands to 24 teams split into an eight-team title bracket and a separate 16-team field.
• The Players Era markets guaranteed NIL money to participants, reporting at least $1 million per school plus a roughly $12 million performance pool that pays teams based on results and margin of victory.
• The Big 12 has a separate, five-year arrangement with the Players Era that gives the conference a reported 15% stake and guarantees minimum revenues while supplying multiple league teams each year.
• The deal gives Kansas roster and recruiting benefits by locking in high-profile November matchups and predictable NIL revenue, and it signals how early-season tournaments are reshaping scheduling and pay for college programs.