Next Thanksgiving week, a round-robin tournament featuring South Carolina, UCLA, Duke, and Texas will take place in Las Vegas. This event is known as the Players Era Women’s Championship and will provide athletes from each team with the chance to engage in over $1 million in Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) activities facilitated by the title sponsor and other partners.

Seth Berger, CEO of Players Era, expressed enthusiasm about the event: “Players Era is creating the first-ever tentpole women’s college basketball MTE with an unbelievably loaded field and fascinating storylines, with early-season matchups expected to set the tone for the remainder of the season. Our women’s championship offers the same guaranteed NIL opportunities for the players as the men’s championship.”

This tournament will take place alongside the men’s Players Era Festival, which was held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena last month, where Oregon claimed victory against Alabama with a close score of 83-81.

In this upcoming championship, each women’s team will face off against the other three teams. South Carolina has already played against both Duke and UCLA earlier this season and is set to meet Texas, a new SEC member bound for conference play this year.

South Carolina’s head coach, Dawn Staley, shared her excitement about participating: “We’re thrilled to be among the first women’s teams invited to the Players Era Women’s Championship. This groundbreaking event encapsulates everything we seek – high-caliber games at the beginning of the season, an excellent venue for fans, and substantial NIL opportunities for our athletes.”

Currently, all four teams rank within the top 10 of the national poll, with UCLA and South Carolina holding the first two positions. Texas stands at sixth while Duke is positioned ninth. Notably, earlier in November, the Bruins defeated the Gamecocks, which ended South Carolina’s impressive 43-game winning streak.

UCLA head coach Cori Close emphasized the importance of competition: “As a program that aims to compete consistently at the championship level, it’s vital to challenge ourselves against the best. We look forward to a rematch with South Carolina and the chance to face other outstanding teams at the Player’s Era Women’s Championship. This tournament will set the standard for out-of-conference play, drawing a national audience, and we are honored to be included in such a prestigious event.”