The 'Diamond Cup,' a new eight-team event, is being prepped for 2027, but can it come together as planned?
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Looming Players Era complications
The potential inclusion of Michigan, Kansas, Gonzaga and Arizona in the Diamond Cup will complicate another huge November event: The Players Era Tournament. The Players Era poached from other events; will it suffer a similar wound and lose some of its biggest schools? It's a major dangling thread that has stalled the Diamond Cup's progression over the past few months.
Michigan has a three-year contract with that event. Year 3 would be in 2027-28 — the first year of the Diamond Cup. The Wolverines have an opt-out clause in their contract, should another event offer to pay more than Players Era, but at the same time, Players Era also has the chance to match the payout, sources said.
If 2027-28's first iteration of the Diamond Cup is only two games, the issue could be avoided altogether if the Diamond Cup is staged to start the season. But if those two games are around Thanksgiving, which is the plan as of now, then something will have to give, as the Players Era event (
which is now two separate tournaments and 24 teams total) is staged in and around Thanksgiving as well.
Kansas is the highest-paid team in Players Era and is a part of the Big 12, like Arizona is. The league has a five-year contract with Players Era and will slot eight of its schools into the 24-team field in the years ahead. Would the Big 12 be OK with having its two biggest schools annually participating in the Diamond Cup but not being involved in Players Era? One source said Kansas carved in some opt-outs, if necessary, with Players Era and that it's possible for future workarounds.
Gonzaga is also currently on board to play in 2027 with Players Era, but because MTE rules and regulations have changed, there is a scenario in which Gonzaga could play in the eight-team Players Era tournament the week before Thanksgiving and then in the Diamond Cup surrounding Turkey Day.