A non-conference schedule announcement for Alabama men's basketball could be coming soon, and the holdup could be heading to Las Vegas.
The Crimson Tide will host the NIL-led Players Era Festival in Las Vegas over Thanksgiving weekend of the 2024-25 college basketball season, according to a report from CBS Sports' Matt Norlander and Dennis Dodd. They are reportedly one of seven teams “participating” in the tournament.
Of the eight teams in the event, the other six reported teams are Houston, Notre Dame, Oregon, Rutgers, San Diego State and Texas A&M, with an eighth team to be determined. Other teams being discussed to compete in the event include Duke, Gonzaga, Kansas, Michigan, Syracuse and Virginia, which are not scheduled to play until 2025, according to CBS Sports .
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In the NIL-led collegiate athletic world, the eight teams participating in the tournament will reportedly each receive $1 million in prize money, with RedBird International Media Investments, a division of RedBird Capital Partners, handling the financial aspects of the tournament. CBS Sports reported that event organizers are considering a single tournament slot with eight teams, or two separate multi-team events (MTEs) with four teams.
According to a report from CBS Sports, the event will be hosted by New York-based production company Everwonder Studios, an intermediary company that supports established basketball events such as the CBS Sports Classic Fort Myers Tipoff and other events. Run by sports. CBS also noted that in order to comply with NCAA rules that prohibit teams from playing in the same MTE for multiple years in a row, event organizers may use multiple breakaway MTEs under different names in order to have the same team participate in multiple competitions. It is reported that the event is being considered. Year.
Negotiations are nearing completion for the tournament, which will be held at one or all of MGM Resorts International's venues on the Las Vegas Strip: T-Mobile Arena, MGM Grand Garden Arena, and Michelob Ultra Arena. It is reported that. Matches to be broadcast on the streaming platform are tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, November 26th, Wednesday, November 27th, and Friday, November 29th.
NIL's revenue doesn't end with the $1 million payout for tournament participation. According to CBS Sports:
“Additional significant NIL opportunities (believed to be close to $1 million more) will be awarded only to the winner or winners of the event, depending on the final bracket format. That money will then be given to the organization The athletes will have to participate in various off-court activities to earn that NIL money while in Las Vegas.
“NIL pay-for-money contracts are a key feature of the festival and the core of its appeal. Pay-for-play remains a violation of NCAA rules. This is the pitch.
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CBS Sports reported that an official announcement about the event could be made within the next two weeks. The event is already in discussion for future years and a larger stadium with 16 teams from 2025. A key difference is the fact that some of the teams in this year's field have contracts to participate in the event through 2026, which could mean players entering the transfer portal or declaring for the NBA Draft. is a potential factor in the decision.
Nate Oats' team, which had been listed as one of the top 25 teams in the nation in some “too-early” Top 25 polls after the addition of Rutgers big man Clifford Omoruyi, became the program's first 25-year-old to reach the Final Four. We are about to finish our 12th season. history.