The 2026-27 men's college basketball multi-team event schedule reflects ongoing changes in the sport. The Players Era events have simplified their format, while the Battle 4 Atlantis has adopted a more complex structure. Below are the five best bracket-style tournaments for the upcoming season.
1. Players Era 16
Dates: Nov. 24-28 | Location: Las Vegas. The event features two eight-team brackets with the winners meeting in a championship game on Nov. 28. Bracket 1 includes Miami vs. TCU, Creighton vs. Michigan, Baylor vs. Alabama, and Gonzaga vs. Kansas State. Bracket 2 includes Tennessee vs. Maryland, San Diego State vs. Iowa State, Texas Tech vs. Louisville, and Oregon vs. St. John's. Fourteen teams come from high-major conferences, plus Gonzaga and San Diego State from the Pac-12. Nine of the 16 teams were in the preseason AP Top 25, and all but Kansas State began the season inside the KenPom top 100. Each team is guaranteed three games, with the bracket winners playing a fourth for a $1 million bonus.
2. Players Era 8
Dates: Nov. 17-19 | Location: Las Vegas (Michelob Ultra Arena). This eight-team bracket is headlined by preseason No. 1 Florida, along with Houston, Kansas, Auburn, West Virginia, Rutgers, Notre Dame, and UNLV. Potential semifinals could pair Houston with Florida and Kansas with Auburn. The Jayhawks are reported to be the highest-compensated program among the 24 schools contracted with Players Era.
3. Maui Invitational
Dates: Nov. 23-25 | Location: Lahaina, Hawaii. The eight-team bracket features Ole Miss vs. Clemson, Washington vs. BYU, VCU vs. Providence, and Colorado State vs. Arizona. While the event has lost some top teams to the Players Era, this year's field is stronger than 2025, when only two participants reached the NCAA Tournament. Arizona and BYU headline, and the VCU-Providence opener could have significant at-large implications.
4. Rady Children's Invitational
Dates: Nov. 26-27 | Location: San Diego (University of San Diego). A four-team bracket with Texas vs. Georgetown and UCLA vs. Saint Mary's. Both Texas and UCLA were preseason Top 25 teams. Texas added five-star freshmen Marcus Spears Jr. and Austin Goosby plus transfers David Punch (TCU) and Isaiah Johnson (Colorado) for coach Sean Miller's second season. UCLA, coming off an opening-night win over Arizona, added Texas Tech transfer Jaylen Petty and European import Nikola Kusturica under coach Mick Cronin.
5. Baha Mar Hoops Bahamas Championship
Dates: Nov. 19-20 | Location: Nassau, Bahamas. A four-team tournament with NC State vs. Murray State and Wisconsin vs. Seton Hall. The winner of each first-round game advances to the title game. Murray State, a high-octane mid-major, faces first-year NC State coach Justin Gainey. Seton Hall aims to return to the NCAA Tournament after a 21-12 season, while Wisconsin provides the event's biggest brand.
