Overview
- The partnership grants the Big 12 eight automatic berths each year beginning next season through 2029–30, with selections based on the prior season’s conference standings.
- Players Era will pay no less than $50 million in rights fees to Big 12 programs over six years as part of the equity arrangement, officials said.
- The Las Vegas festival opened with an 18-team men’s field featuring nine ranked programs and marquee games such as Alabama–Gonzaga, Oregon–Auburn and Iowa State–St. John’s.
- The event uses two nine-team pods with group winners meeting for the title, and organizers plan to expand the men’s field to 32 teams in 2026.
- Each team is guaranteed $1 million for NIL, with additional performance-based payouts, and reporting indicates the festival is distributing roughly $30 million in total prize money.