Las Vegas will once again be the place to be during Feast Week this college basketball season.

Coined “November Mania,” the Players Era Men’s Championship announced its schedule for the newly expanded 18-team men’s basketball NIL multi-team event in November in Las Vegas on July 14, and to no surprise, it’s quite loaded.

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Then called the Players Era Festival, the NIL-driven event by storm last season and has quickly become a must-play event with NCAA Tournament caliber teams, so much so that teams paid their way out of already scheduled multi-team events to participate in it last season.

Headlining the first two days of competition in Las Vegas is Gonzaga vs. Alabama on Wednesday, Nov. 25. Preceding the Bulldogs and Crimson Tide on Nov. 25 is St. John’s vs. Iowa State, two teams that are notoriously known for their defense under Rick Pitino and T.J. Otzelberger.

REQURIED READING: College basketball too-early Top 25 rankings after transfer portal, NBA draft

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Day 2 of the 2025 Players Era Men’s Championship field is headlined by an Elite Eight rematch of Houston vs. Tennessee and then Iowa State vs. Creighton, two teams that were already scheduled to meet in October for an exhibition.

The 2025 Players Era Men’s Championship field includes 14 teams that made the NCAA Tournament last season, and nine teams — Auburn, Houston, St. John’s, Alabama, Iowa State, Maryland, Oregon and Michigan — that were seeded at least a five seed or higher in the field of 68. Eleven teams that appear in the USA TODAY Sports too-early top 25 poll will also compete in Las Vegas.

The four-day multi-team event will take place in Las Vegas at MGM Grand Garden Arena and Michelob Ultra Arena from Monday, Nov. 24 through Thursday, Nov. 27 with the championship game taking place on Wednesday, Nov. 26.

There will also be a four-team Players Era Women’s Championship featuring South Carolina, UCLA, Texas and Duke that will take place Wednesday, Nov. 26 and Thursday, Nov. 27 in Las Vegas.

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Here’s what to know from the July 14 announcement of the 2025 Players Era Men’s Championship:

Players Era Championship bracket 2025

The returning teams to the Players Era Festival include Alabama, Houston, Rutgers, Notre Dame, Oregon, San Diego State and Creighton. The only team that isn’t returning to the Players Era Championship from last year’s field, which Oregon won, is Texas A&M. The Aggies were replaced in the field by Maryland, which hired away Buzz Williams from Texas A&M this offseason.

Here’s a full breakdown of who is competing in the 2025 Players Era Men’s Championship:

Players Era Festival 2025 schedule

Here’s a look at schedule for the 2025 Players Era Men’s Championship, which will take place MGM Grand Garden Arena and Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas:

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Monday, Nov. 24

• Rutgers vs. Tennessee | 1 p.m. ET

• Creighton vs. Baylor | 2 p.m. ET

• Kansas vs. Notre Dame | 3:30 p.m. ET

• St. John’s vs. Iowa State | 4:30 p.m. ET

• Houston vs. Syracuse | 6 p.m. ET

• Auburn vs. Oregon | 8 p.m. ET

• Gonzaga vs. Alabama | 9:30 p.m. ET

• Michigan vs. San Diego State | 10:30 p.m. ET

• UNLV vs. Maryland | Midnight ET

Tuesday, Nov. 25

• Rutgers vs. Notre Dame | 1 p.m. ET

• Iowa State vs. Creighton | 2 p.m. ET

• Kansas vs. Syracuse | 3:30 p.m. ET

• St. John’s vs. Baylor | 4:30 p.m. ET

• Houston vs. Tennessee | 6 p.m. ET

• Michigan vs. Auburn | 8:30 p.m. ET

• Gonzaga vs. Maryland | 9:30 p.m. ET

• Oregon vs. San Diego State | 11 p.m. ET

• UNLV vs. Alabama | Midnight ET

Wednesday, Nov. 26

• Third Place Game: 7 p.m. ET

• Championship Game: 9:30 p.m. ET

Note: For those that didn’t make the championship or third place game on Wednesday, November 26, they will play in consolation games across Wednesday, November 26 and Thursday, November 27 in Las Vegas

What is the Players Era Championshop?

The Players Era Championship is a one-of-a-kind multi-team event that takes place during “Feast Week” of the college basketball season in November, during Thanksgiving week. Debuted during the 2024-25 season with an eight-team field, The Players Era Championship is a NIL-driven multi-team event with some of the best college basketball teams in the country.

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Each team will receive $1 million for participating in the event, while players and teams will have the opportunity to earn more NIL while in Las Vegas. The champion of the Players Era Championship will win an additional $1 million in NIL earnings as well. Noted by CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander, the total pot for the 2025 Players Era Championship will be north of $20 million in NIL-related earnings — quite the expensive multi-team event and regular season showcase event.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Players Era Men’s Championship full field, schedule announced

Every year after the softball season ends, lots of players decide to leave their current teams and look for new ones.

Maybe your team’s best pitcher will join a rival. Or maybe the hitter who gave you trouble last season might become your new teammate.

Thanks to big NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) deals and players moving closer to home, the transfer portal has turned softball into a busy, year-round event.

Here, we will share the biggest player moves, top names still available, and how this new system is changing the way college softball operates.

What is the Transfer Portal?

The NCAA Transfer Portal, launched in October 2018, has revolutionized the process by which student-athletes transfer to a new school.

For softball players, it serves as a centralized database where athletes can enter their information and make themselves available to other programs.

The process works in several key steps:

• A player notifies their school’s compliance office of their intention to transfer.
• The school enters the player’s information into the portal within two business days.
• Once in the portal, coaches from other schools can contact the player.
• The player can then evaluate opportunities and commit to a new program.

As of April 2024, significant rule changes have made transferring more accessible than ever.

The NCAA has eliminated restrictions on the number of transfers academically eligible athletes can make during their college careers, removing the requirement to sit out a year for multiple transfers.

For softball specifically, the transfer windows for the 2025-2026 season will open after the regular season and last 30 days. Graduate transfers can enter the portal at any time.

Latest Transfer Portal Listings

Here are some of the most notable players currently in the 2025 softball transfer portal:

Recent Transfer Portal Commitments

Several major commitments have already shaped the 2025 softball landscape:

• CeCe Cellura to LSU: The former San Diego State pitcher committed to the Tigers on May 26, 2025, bringing elite talent to an SEC powerhouse.
• Ella Harrison to Auburn: Another pitcher on the move, Harrison leaves Rutgers to join the competitive SEC at Auburn, also committing on May 26, 2025.
• New Mexico State’s Portal Success: The Aggies have been particularly active, securing nine incoming transfers to bolster their roster after a 30-win 2024 campaign.

These moves highlight how programs are increasingly relying on transfers to fill immediate needs rather than waiting for freshman development.

The immediacy of impact has made transfer recruiting a top priority for coaching staffs across the nation.

Rising Programs to Watch Out!

Several college softball programs have made strategic moves in the transfer portal, utilizing it to increase their competitiveness and improve their performance.

• Texas Tech made a significant splash by landing Ni’Jaree Canady, considered one of the nation’s top pitchers, with a stellar 0.73 ERA and 337 strikeouts last season, which immediately positions the Red Raiders as a serious contender.
• Nebraska, although not historically a softball powerhouse, has proven its ability to attract top talent through the transfer portal, helping to improve the program’s status.
• Oklahoma State, with a series of key power-conference transfers, including Ruby Meylan, is setting itself up as a new standard in the Big 12, showcasing the potential of the transfer portal to take a team from good to great.

These programs highlight how strategic portal use can accelerate rebuilding and increase a team’s performance.

Resources for Tracking Transfer Portal Activity

If you want to stay up-to-date, here are some of the best places for real-time transfer news:

For more details, click here.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are There Deadlines for Entering the Softball Transfer Portal?

Yes. There are sport-specific windows when athletes can enter the portal. Graduate transfers have more flexibility and can join at any time, but undergraduates must follow the designated transfer window for their sport.

Do Transfer Rules Differ Between NCAA Divisions?

Yes, while the general process is similar, some details, such as academic standards and scholarship rules, can vary between Division I, II, and III.

Johnny Manziel truly believes he would’ve stayed in college football at Texas A&M in the NIL era, rather than go to the NFL as early as he did. Following two years as a starter, Manziel declared for the NFL Draft and was a first round pick by the Cleveland Browns in 2014.

However, his NFL career quickly flamed out and he had stints in the CFL a few years later, as well as Fan Controlled Football, an arena league. But, the former Heisman Trophy winner has been open and honest about his post-collegiate struggles on and off the field but has his moments where it’s fun to play the hypothetical game.

Just imagine Manziel, at the peak of his collegiate powers, rolling in the NIL dollars. And then coming back to Texas A&M on top of it? Oh man.

“I mean, I think no matter what, being in the NIL era, if that would have, you know, been the equivalent of 2013, I would have stayed no matter what,” Manziel said on Always College Football. “Just because, you know, a couple million bucks in College Station goes a really, really long way. And, you go to the NFL, or a first round pick, you know, you sign for $10 million or whatever it is, you know, that’s the two years that I had remaining at Texas A&M, to be able to make (that) through NIL. So I think, for me, when I think back about it now, I definitely, if there would have been any real money involved, I definitely would have stayed no matter what.”

This isn’t the first time Manziel alluded to more time in College Station. He spoke to fellow Heisman winner Matt Leinart about the topic back in December with NIL being such commonplace across college athletics.

“Yeah, I think so, just because, I mean, you know, you get into your rookie contract if you’re not taken  high enough, I mean, you know, I could have stayed two more years in college and probably made what I made throughout the four years of your NFL deal for the most part,” Manziel said. “So I think it would have given me the opportunity to still be at a place today and then like that, be able to make money and be able to, you know, still continue to go play the college football life. It’s tough for me looking back, having left two years of eligibility on a table.”

Manziel burst onto the college football scene in 2012 when he became the first freshman to ever win the Heisman Trophy. That year, he threw for 3,706 yards and 26 touchdowns to help the Aggies to an 11-2 record. 

Along the way, he set multiple records, including one against Arkansas when he had 557 yards of total offense. That broke Archie Manning’s record, and Manziel broke his own mark just two games later with 576 yards of offense in a single game. As a redshirt sophomore in 2013, Manziel threw for 4,114 yards and 37 touchdowns as he finished fifth in the Heisman voting.

ATLANTA – Just a few years after NIL and instant eligibility for transfers upended the college football world, programs must adjust again.