The West Virginia Mountaineers are headed to the Player's Era Tournament, a holiday tournament scheduled around Thanksgiving which pays out millions to participating schools in NIL funds and will feature 24 programs,13 of which made the NCAA Tournament last season.
The Mountaineers already knew they were headed to the Player's Era 8 Tournament, the first of two brackets that will be played at the event. On Thursday, the Mountaineers learned who they will play in the opening round game, as well as the other teams on their side of the bracket – and the defending College Basketball Crown champions will be tasked with facing another postseason champion.
West Virginia Mountaineers to clash with Auburn Tigers in Player's Era 8 Tournament
The Player's Era 8 will take place at Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada between November 17 and November 19. The Mountaineers are no stranger to NIL-based events in the Sin City, as they traveled to Las Vegas for the College Basketball Crown postseason tournament in April and walked away as champions.
And their first-round opponent, the Auburn Tigers of the SEC, are also no stranger to postseason championship victory, as they were crowned the NIT Champions in April. The Tigers knocked off Tulsa in the NIT Finals.
The Players Era 8 bracket is LIVE ‼️
— Players Era (@Players_Era) May 21, 2026
🗓️ November 17-19
🏟️ Michelob ULTRA Arena
📍 Las Vegas, NV pic.twitter.com/gzO32WO6BB
Both the Mountaineers and Tigers were hotly debated as potential NCAA Tournament teams during the final months of the regular season, with both frequently appearing on the bubble during tournament projections – despite WVU fans often feeling like the Mountaineers had a superior resume. Now, this tournament offers the Mountaineers to prove they are a better program – albeit the rosters won't be similar to last season at all.
The winner of the WVU/Auburn game will move onto the semifinals to face the winner of a first-round contest between Kansas and UNLV, while the losers will face each other in the consolation bracket. On the other side of the bracket, Houston will battle Rutgers and Florida will play Notre Dame. The final day of the tournament will feature an championship game, and third-place, fifth-place, and seventh-place match-ups.
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