NIL-driven Las Vegas college basketball event nearly finalized with Alabama vs. Houston among matchups

A one-of-a-kind revolutionary regular-season men’s basketball event to be staged later this year in Las Vegas will be announced Wednesday, sources told CBS Sports. Its selling point is based on the major factor that has drastically altered college sports over the past three years: name, image and likeness compensation for players.

Games will be played at the MGM Las Vegas during the week of Thanksgiving under the umbrella of an event dubbed the “Players Era Festival,” which will also include live music and other attractions for fans amid the glitz of the Las Vegas Strip. In a college sports first, the event will also include $1 million NIL payouts for eight participating schools. What’s more, players involved will have future earnings opportunities through long-term NIL contracts, sources told CBS Sports.

Alabama, Creighton, Houston, Notre Dame, Oregon, Rutgers, San Diego State and Texas A&M have all committed to play in the event, sources said. 

The event will be played as two four-team formats. Sources said the brackets are planned as such: Alabama (SEC), Houston (Big 12), Notre Dame (ACC) and Rutgers (Big Ten) would be one event; Creighton (Big East), Oregon (Big Ten), San Diego State (Mountain West) and Texas A&M (SEC) the other. Teams from the same conference cannot play each other in MTEs, per current NCAA rules.

The opening matchups will be:

Houston vs. Alabama
Rutgers vs. Notre Dame
Creighton vs. Oregon
Texas A&M vs. SDSU

Houston vs. Alabama could potentially be a battle between top-five teams. Rutgers brings in its highest-rated freshman class in history, while Creighton playing Oregon means Ducks coach Dana Altman will face the school he coached for 16 years. Altman ran Creighton’s program from 1994-2010.

Creighton was the final school to join; it formally committed in early May, sources told CBS Sports. The Bluejays have signed a three-year commitment with the event. Creighton was…

Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/nil-driven-las-vegas-college-basketball-event-nearly-finalized-with-alabama-vs-houston-among-matchups/

Author : Matt Norlander

Publish date : 2024-06-12 13:47:58

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