In a major shift in the NCAA’s stance on amateurism, college basketball players are set to have the opportunity to earn money through an eight-team tournament held in Las Vegas over Thanksgiving weekend. Each participating program will receive $1 million to distribute among its players. Schools such as Alabama, Houston, Notre Dame, Oregon, Rutgers, San Diego State, and Texas A&M are expected to participate in the tournament.
Players involved in the tournament would be required to engage in off-court activities to earn sponsorship money. The event organizers, known as the Players Era Festival, have assured universities that the tournament will operate within NCAA guidelines. While schools cannot directly pay their players for their name, image or likeness, many have established collectives to raise funds on behalf of the athletes.
The NCAA’s decision to allow players to engage in sponsorship opportunities has led athletes to increasingly prioritize monetization when selecting schools. With the ability for players to transfer once without sitting out a season and NIL deals specifically for basketball and football players reaching millions of dollars, it is clear that college basketball is becoming more about business than sport.
