TCU to Play in 2026 Players Era Championship
1/22/2026 10:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Eight Big 12 Teams to Participate in Next Season’s Event
FORT WORTH – TCU will be one of the eight Big 12 participants to play in the expanded 2026 Players Era Men's Championship Field, the Big 12 Conference and Players Era announced on Thursday.
Players Era and the Big 12 previously announced a first-of-its-kind partnership that guarantees the Big 12, perennially one of the top men's basketball conferences in the country, with eight teams in the Players Era Men's Championship.
TCU, Kansas State, Texas Tech and West Virginia join existing Big 12 participants Baylor, Houston, Kansas and Iowa State in next year's expanded tournament field.
TCU won its tournament this season, the Rady Children's Invitational in San Diego, Calif., with wins over No. 10 Florida and Wisconsin. It was the sixth time in the last nine season the Frogs have won their "mid-season" tournaments under head coach Jamie Dixon.
"We are excited to welcome four more Big 12 teams into the 2026 Players Era Men's Championship: Texas Tech, TCU, West Virginia, and Kansas State. Having eight Big 12 teams guarantees that we will have the strongest field ever for what is becoming the second biggest tournament in college basketball," said Players Era CEO Seth Berger.
After debuting with eight teams for its inaugural tournament in 2024, the Players Era Men's Championship expanded to 18 teams for the 2025 edition and is expanding the field once again for year three, as the tournament establishes itself as the preeminent early season men's college tournament. Players Era will announce additional information about the 2026 tournament field and format in the coming weeks.
