SCHEDULE NEWS: Michigan Basketball is set to face San Diego State and Auburn during the Players Era Championship this upcoming season. The Wolverines have a chance at revenge for their Sweet Sixteen loss to the Tigers:
Much like cranberry sauce, revenge is a dish best served cold during Feast Week. A few days before Thanksgiving, the Michigan Wolverines men’s basketball team is set for an NCAA Tournament rematch in the Players Era Championship.
The program announced the matchups for its first appearance in the 18-team festival. The Wolverines will face San Diego State on Monday, Nov. 24, before facing Auburn on the 25th. Michigan will play an additional game on Wednesday, but that opponent will depend on the team’s results the first two games.
Dusty May and the Wolverines will get the chance to avenge last year’s Sweet Sixteen loss against Bruce Pearl and the Tigers after falling to them, 78-65. Surprisingly, this will be only the third time the Wolverines have faced Auburn, with Michigan winning the first game, 102-81, in 1993.
Before that rematch, the Wolverines will take on the Aztecs, led by former Michigan assistant coach Brian Dutcher. A fixture of the coaching staff during the Fab Five era, Dutcher was in Ann Arbor from 1989-98. SDSU has only faced Michigan one other time, with the Wolverines winning in 2021, 72-58.
Michigan is one of four Big Ten team participating in this year’s Players Era Championship, an NIL-centered tournament in Las Vegas . This will be Michigan’s first time playing in Sin City since 2021, as the Wolverines beat UNLV and fell to Arizona as part of the 2021 Roman Main Event.
Some of the top programs in the sport are competing in this non-conference showcase. The remaining field includes Alabama (SEC), Baylor (Big 12), Creighton (Big East), Gonzaga (West Coast), Houston (Big 12), Iowa State (Big 12), Kansas (Big 12), Maryland (Big Ten), Notre Dame (ACC), Oregon (Big Ten), Rutgers (Big Ten), St. John’s (Big East), Syracuse (ACC), Tennessee (SEC) and UNLV (Mountain West ).
Matchups like this are great for the Wolverines to test themselves early in the season before the grind of conference play. High-profile games like this also bring relevance to a sport that could use more attention well before March Madness. The participating players getting some NIL money is the cherry on top.
Out of the 15 other teams listed above, who do you want to see Michigan face to conclude its run at the Players Era Championship? Let us know in the comments.