Report: Duke, Kansas, More in Talks with MCBB Tournament Offering $2M in NIL Money

Following in the footsteps of the NBA, men's college basketball is looking to start its own in-season tournament featuring eight of the biggest programs in the country.

Per Amanda Christovich of Front Office Sports, the tournament will be dubbed "Players Era" with $2 million in name, image and likeness deals being offered to the teams that participate.

Duke, Kansas, Alabama, Florida Atlantic, Houston, Oregon, San Diego State, Virginia and Houston have all been in discussions with tournament organizers about participating in the event.

Pete Nakos of On3.com added the tournament will take place over Thanksgiving weekend at the MGM Arena in Las Vegas.

Christovich noted the tournament operator is "guaranteeing that sponsors and other tournament partners will offer each school a total of $1 million in NIL money for participating."

The money will be spread around to various groups, including collectives, boosters or other NIL entities, with coaches and teams given the ability to distribute the money as "they see fit" as long as it goes to players currently on the teams.

The winning team will receive an additional $1 million in NIL money to be distributed the same way.

According to Christovich, the goal is to start the tournament with eight teams the first year before expanding to 16 teams in 2025.

EverWonder Studio, which is operating the event, has yet to secure broadcast distribution rights, but it is in talks with "both linear and streaming-based broadcasters" about airing the tournament games.

The College Basketball Invitational, which debuted in 2008 as a third option for programs after the NCAA tournament and NIT, became the first tournament to offer an NIL prize last year with $40,000 going to the winner, $25,000 to the runner-up and $2,500 to each semifinalist.

Duke's participation, in particular, would be a huge coup for the in-season tournament. The Blue Devils currently have the top-ranked recruiting class for 2024-25, with five 5-star prospects led by Cooper Flagg, Isaiah Evans and Khaman Maluach.

ESPN's Jonathan Givony has called Duke's incoming class "one of the most impressive" groups assembled in recent memory.