According to Matt Norlander of CBS Sports, Baylor has pulled out of the 2025 Maui Invitational. Instead, the Bears will play in the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas, a tournament that is NIL-driven for the participating players.
Baylor is not the only addition to the 2025 Players Era Festival, either. Fellow Big 12 member Iowa State is joining the field according to Norlander. Although, they were not scheduled to be in Hawaii for college basketball’s most popular midseason tournament.
“News: Baylor has pulled out of the 2025 Maui Invitational and will play in the Vegas-based Players Era Festival instead, tournament organizers told CBS Sports,” Norlander said via X. “Baylor’s not the only one: Iowa State is also now on board for ’25, organizers said.”
Twelve other programs are scheduled to participate in the 2025 Players Era Festival — Alabama, Creighton, Houston, Gonzaga, Michigan, Notre Dame, Rutgers, San Diego State, Saint Joe’s, St. John’s, Syracuse, and Texas A&M. Being able to add Baylor and Iowa State brings the field to a total of 14 around a year and a half out.
As Norlander points out in a later tweet, Oregon is scheduled to play in the 2024 Players Era Festival but is not a part of the 2025 field. The Ducks are set to play in the Maui Invitational that season and for now, they are not making the move like Baylor.
With Baylor’s withdrawal, the 2025 Maui Invitational currently sits at seven teams. Chaminade, NC State, Oregon, Seton Hall, Texas, UNLV, and USC are still scheduled to travel to the islands around Thanksgiving.
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