Texas Tech University Athletics
Texas Tech to play in Players Era next season
January 22, 2026 | Men's Basketball
LUBBOCK – Texas Tech is entering the Players Era.
Players Era, an EverWonder Studio company, and the Big 12 Conference have officially announced that Texas Tech, TCU, West Virginia and Kansas State will round out the eight Big 12 participants in the expanded 2026 Players Era Men's Championship 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.
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.
Grant McCasland: "Our program is excited to be joining the Players Era Men's Championship field next season. It's the most competitive non-conference event with unmatched opportunities to improve our program."
Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark: "We're thrilled that four additional Big 12 programs have been added to the elite Players Era field in 2026. 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."
Players Era CEO Seth Berger: "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."
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