VEGAS – The Players Era Festival has officially announced its schedule, matchups and TV designations on Tuesday morning, with Notre Dame men’s basketball set to compete in the first-of-its-kind event. The Fighting Irish will be 1-of-8 teams invited to come to Las Vegas during the week of Thanksgiving.
The Players Era Festival will be played as two separate four-team round-robin tournaments, with Notre Dame playing against Alabama, Houston and Rutgers in the Impact Tournament. The Power Tournament features Oregon, San Diego State, Creighton and Texas A&M.
It’ll be an early season test for this young and talented Irish squad. In ESPN’s Way Too Early Top-25 rankings, Alabama is No. 2, Houston is No. 4 and Rutgers is No. 25.
The schedule for the Impact Tournament is as follows:
Tuesday, November 26
Houston vs. Alabama – 8:00 PM (EST) | TBS
Rutgers vs. Notre Dame – 10:30 PM (EST) | TBS
Wednesday, November 27
Rutgers vs. Alabama – 10:00 PM (EST) | TBS
Thursday, November 28
Notre Dame vs. Houston – 12:30 AM (EST) | TBS
Saturday, November 30
Alabama vs. Notre Dame – 1:00 PM (EST) | truTV
Rutgers vs. Houston – 3:30 PM (EST) | truTV
For each distinct Tournament, in the event teams finish with the same record, tie breakers will be used to determine final standings, including head-to-head record, total point differential, points scored, points allowed and, lastly, pre-Tournament NET ranking.
The 2024 Festival introduces an entirely new structure for early season competition, coinciding with the opportunity for athletes on each participating team to engage in more than $1 million in NIL opportunities outside of competition.
All-time Series Records
- Notre Dame leads the series, 4-2, against Alabama, with a 2-2 record at neutral sites. The Irish defeated Alabama, 78-64, in San Diego, in the first round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament.
- Notre Dame and Houston are tied 4-4 in the overall series. The two haven’t clashed on the hardwood since Feb. 10, 1990.
- ND leads the overall series with Rutgers, 21-13, with a 6-2 record on neutral courts. The last meeting between the two was a memorable one – an 89-87 double-overtime victory at the First Four round in Dayton to propel the Irish into the first round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament.
— ND –