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Come Fan with UsWednesday, August 5, 2026

College basketball players are getting paid to play 3-on-3. Here’s how and where.

Everything you need to know about the how the first-ever tournament works.

UCLA v Arizona
UCLA v Arizona
Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Final Four weekend will introduce a new event in which players who have just finished their remaining college eligibility will be paid to play in a 3-on-3 tournament in San Antonio. It’ll be broadcast live. The event, which is sponsored by Dos Equis, has a $100,000 prize pool, and there will be multiple opportunities for everyone in the tournament to receive some type of payout. There will be 32 teams competing, made up of four players each.

Wait — college kids are getting paid?!

Yes, but technically no. The only players who can participate are those who have used their eligibility — so seniors or grad students. Players’ eligibility is officially up when they lose in the NCAA tournament (or whatever other tournament they played in). They’re no longer seen as the NCAA’s property at that point, even if they haven’t graduated from college yet.

Sounds fun. Who’s playing?

There’s a player selection committee consisting of former players and media that nominated the best departing talent across each Division I conference. They selected Duke’s Grayson Allen, Gonzaga’s Johnathan Williams, Notre Dame’s Bonzie Colson, North Carolina’s Theo Pinson and Joel Berry, West Virginia’s Jevon Carter, and more. The full list is here.

These players haven’t all been confirmed yet, though some mid-majors have.

When’s it happening?

The tournament spans three days, starting March 30 to April 1.

March 30 - 7 p.m. ET

March 31 - 11 a.m. ET

April 1 - 2 p.m. ET

What channel?

ESPN2

Where?

Bill Greehey University at St. Mary’s University.

What can they win?

There’s $100,000 to be earned in this tournament.

Each team that wins a game during what’s known as “pool play” will earn $1,000. A quarterfinal or semifinal win will also net $1,000, and the championship winner gets $50,000.

What are the rules?

  • Half court games
  • 12-second shot clock
  • Twos count as one point, and threes count as twos
  • Teams of four
  • 10 minute games or the first to 21 wins

This might be a good thing, huh?

Yep! Players getting paid to play sounds good to me.

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