Tennessee basketball to open Players Era Festival against Maryland

Tennessee basketball will face Maryland in the opening round of the Players Era Festival on November 24 at Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas. The 24-team event unveiled its two brackets, with the Vols in the 16-team bracket and playing opposite of Iowa State and San Diego State.

The Vols will face either Iowa State or San Diego State either in the winners bracket or the consolation bracket on November 26. The semifinal round will be held on November 27 and the championship game will be played on November 28. 

The third-place, fifth-place and seventh-place games will also be played on November 27.

Also on Tennessee’s side of the 16-team bracket is St. John’s vs. Oregon and Louisville vs. Texas Tech. The other half of the bracket is Gonzaga vs. Kansas State, Baylor vs. Alabama, Michigan vs. Creighton and Miami vs. TCU.

The Players Era 8, the eight-team bracket, will be played the week before the Players Era 16. The eight-team bracket has Florida vs. Notre Dame and Houston vs. Rutgers on one side, opposite of Kansas vs. UNLV and West Virginia vs. Auburn. 

Former Tennessee guard Bishop Boswell transferred to Maryland

Former Tennessee guard Bishop Boswell transferred to Michigan in April, one of six former Vols to leave the program through the NCAA Transfer Portal. A game against Iowa State in Las Vegas would be a rematch of Tennessee’s Sweet 16 game against the Cyclones at the United Center in March, with the Vols winning to advance to the Elite Eight for a third straight year.

Tennessee is in the midst of a three-year deal with the Players Era Festival. Last season the Vols went 2-1 in the event, beating Rutgers and upsetting Houston over the first two days, before a loss to Kansas in the third game in Las Vegas.

ESPN is the new broadcast partner and will air all 37 Players Era games in November, after Turner Broadcasting had the event last year. 

Tennessee vs Maryland is third scheduled game against Big Ten opponent

The matchup with Maryland is one of three games the Vols have scheduled with a Big Ten opponent. UT plays at Purdue Dec. 12, 2026, and will host Michigan State.

The MSU game date has yet to be announced.

The Vols should also get a home game in the ACC/SEC Challenge after playing at Syracuse last season. They’re scheduled to play a neutral-site game at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville against N.C. State and former Vols assistant coach Justin Gainey.