Michigan basketball won a number of titles during the 2025-26 season, and now Dusty May and company know the path the 2026-27 group will need to go through if it is to defend its Players Era Festival crown.
The tournament with the largest payday of any in-season tournament in the sport has expanded from 18 to 24 teams for the upcoming season and will be split into two separate brackets over two weeks of play: the Wolverines will play Creighton in their opener on Tuesday, Nov. 24, the program learned last week.
With a win, U-M would play the winner of TCU or Miami (a loss and it would play the loser of that game) before a third contest later in the week against one of the other teams on its side of the bracket. The 16-team field on Michigan’s side of the tournament includes Alabama, Baylor, Creighton, Gonzaga, Iowa State, Kansas State, Louisville, Maryland, Miami (Florida), Oregon, San Diego State, St. John’s, TCU, Tennessee and Texas Tech.
Should the Wolverines do what they did last year and win three games in three days, they will play a fourth game against someone from the “Players Era 8,” the other side of the bracket which plays the week prior. Those teams are Florida, Houston, Kansas, Auburn, West Virginia, Notre Dame, Rutgers and UNLV.
The winner of both brackets will play a fourth game on Saturday, Nov. 27, for the title. The tournament will again be held in Las Vegas, with each of the games played at either T-Mobile Arena or Michelob Ultra Arena. Tip times and TV channels will be announced closer to the start of the event.
Michigan won the event − and an additional $1 million in NIL funds, in addition to the $1 million by being part of the field − last season in impressive fashion, a week that served as a coming out party for the group that ultimately won the national championship.
U-M obliterated San Diego State (94-54), manhandled Auburn (102-72) and then stomped Gonzaga in the title game (101-61), winning the three games by a combined 110 points as it vaulted into the top five of the rankings and never left for the remainder of the year.
Full Players Era Festival schedule
Players Era 8 | Tuesday-Thursday, November 17-19 at Michelob ULTRA Arena
Tuesday, Nov. 17 – Opening Round Games (All times TBD)
Houston vs. Rutgers
Florida vs. Notre Dame
West Virginia vs. Auburn
Kansas vs. UNLV
Wednesday, Nov. 18 (All times TBD)
Semifinal #1 – WINNER (Houston/Rutgers) vs. WINNER (Florida/Notre Dame)
Semifinal #2 – WINNER (West Virginia/Auburn) vs. WINNER (Kansas/UNLV)
Consolation #1
Consolation #2
Thursday, Nov. 19 (All times TBD)
Championship Game
Third-Place Game
Consolation #3
Consolation #4
Players Era 16 | Tuesday-Saturday, November 24-28 at T-Mobile Arena and Michelob ULTRA Arena
Tuesday, Nov. 24 – Opening Round Games (All times TBD)
Tennessee vs. Maryland
San Diego State vs. Iowa State
St. John’s vs. Oregon
Louisville vs. Texas Tech
Gonzaga vs. Kansas State
Baylor vs. Alabama
Michigan vs. Creighton
TCU vs. Miami (FL)
Wednesday, Nov. 25
No games scheduled
Thursday, Nov. 26 (All times TBD)
Semifinal #1 – WINNER (Tennessee/Maryland) vs. WINNER (San Diego State/Iowa State)
Semifinal #2 – WINNER (St. John’s/Oregon) vs. WINNER (Louisville/Texas Tech)
Consolation #1
Consolation #2
Semifinal #3- WINNER (Gonzaga/Kansas State) vs. WINNER (Baylor/Alabama)
Semifinal #4 – WINNER (Michigan/Creighton) vs. WINNER (TCU/Miami)
Consolation #3
Consolation #4
Friday, Nov. 27 (All times TBD)
Bracket #1 Champ – WINNER Semifinal #1 vs. WINNER Semifinal #2
Bracket #2 Champ – WINNER Semifinal #3 vs. WINNER Semifinal #4
Bracket #1 Third Place
Bracket #1 Fifth Place
Bracket #1 Seventh Place
Bracket #2 Third Place
Bracket #2 Fifth Place
Bracket #2 Seventh Place
Saturday, Nov. 28 (Time TBD)
Players Era 16 Championship Game (Michelob ULTRA Arena)
Tony Garcia is the Wolverines beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at apgarcia@freepress.com and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan basketball knows path to defending Players Era Festival title
Reporting by Tony Garcia, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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