WVU Basketball Among Big 12 Teams in Players Era Championship Field

WVU basketball will be part of next season’s 2026 Players Era Men’s Championship. West Virginia will join Kansas State, Texas Tech and TCU as the latest Big 12 schools to join the field.

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.

The new teams join existing Big 12 participants Baylor, Houston, Kansas and Iowa State in next year’s expanded tournament field.

Locked in for next season's Players Era Championship 🔐

🔗 https://t.co/R5Z9mY1koA pic.twitter.com/i5MY8glPaA

— WVU Men's Basketball (@WVUhoops) January 22, 2026

“We are excited to welcome four more Big 12 teams into the 2026 Players Era 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.

“We’re thrilled that four additional Big 12 programs have been added to the elite Players Era field in 2026,” Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark said. “Our partnership creates greater access to one of the premier non-conference events in college basketball, elevating our programs, coaches and student-athletes on a national stage.”

“We are excited to be invited with seven of our Big 12 Conference members to participate in the 2026 Players Era Men’s Championship,” said West Virginia head men’s basketball coach Ross Hodge. “The exposure this tournament presents will be beneficial to our program, our University and the state of West Virginia. This has become the biggest in-season tournament in college basketball, and we are thrilled to be a part of this prestigious event.”

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 further 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.