Miami joins a loaded 24-team field in Las Vegas as part of the 16-team bracket in one of college basketball’s biggest early season events.
The Miami Hurricanes will be part of the expanded 2026 Players Era Tournament in Las Vegas, adding another major opportunity against non-conference schools what’s turning out to be a year of big expectations in year two under head coach Jai Lucas.
The tournament in 2026 is expanding to 24 teams and will now include two separate brackets over a two-week span in Las Vegas. Miami is set to play the week of November 23rd as part of the “Players Era Sixteen” field, which includes many nationally recognized teams. Reportedly, the average reward for all 24 schools competing will be a bit more than $1 million, with the overall winner of the tournament winning an additional $1 million.
Miami is coming off a strong 26-9 season including a win in the NCAA Tournament in Jai Lucas’s first year leading the program, which also included the Hurricanes making a run in the ACC Tournament before falling short to Virginia one game shy of the ACC Championship.
Miami’s roster has completely reloaded again in the transfer portal, highlighted by key additions like former Villanova guard Acaden Lewis, Horizon League Player of the Year DeSean Goode, and former Georgia center Somto Cyril. This all comes while also bringing back their two young stars in Dante Allen and Shelton Henderson.
With the Players Era Tournament bringing together some of the top programs in college basketball, the opportunity gives the Canes an early chance to strengthen its résumé early on and climb the rankings while continuing to build momentum in year two of the Jai Lucas era.
Photo: (Christian Proscia, NewEraPrep)
