Gonzaga learns tipoff time for Players Era Festival opener against Kansas State

Jul. 13—Gonzaga fans may have to adjust their sleep schedules to catch the team’s opening game at the Players Era Festival in November.

Gonzaga and Kansas State will meet in the Players Era nightcap on Nov. 24, tipping off at 9:30 p.m. at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. It’s the eighth and final game on the opening day of the Thanksgiving week tournament featuring 16 programs from the Pac-12, SEC, ACC, Big Ten and Big 12.

All Players Era games will air on the ESPN family of networks after the tournament signed a multiyear agreement with the media company earlier this year. The tournament has yet to assign specific TV designations for its opening-round games.

The Gonzaga-Kansas State winner will play the winner of Baylor and Alabama on Nov. 26 at T-Mobile Arena. Gonzaga could play one of four teams — TCU, Miami, Creighton or Michigan — in its third game on Nov. 27 at T-Mobile.

The two teams that advance through the bracket with 3-0 records will meet in the Nov. 28 championship game at Michelob Ultra Arena. All other teams will go home after their third game in Vegas.

Gonzaga won games against Alabama and Maryland to book a spot in the championship game at last year’s tournament before absorbing a 40-point loss to eventual national champion Michigan.

The Zags have slipped in most way-too-early preseason Top 25 polls since the abrupt departure of starting point guard Mario Saint-Supery, but Mark Few’s team should still be favored in its Players Era opener against a Kansas State team that isn’t appearing in preseason rankings.