One day after reports surfaced that Missouri basketball had signed a contract to play in the NIL-driven Players Era Festival in 2026 and beyond, new reports indicate that the Tigers will not participate in the potentially massive-scale midseason tournament.

Matt Norlander of CBS Sports reported Tuesday that Mizzou has opted out of the midseason tournament that offers lucrative NIL incentives for participating teams.

A source close to the Missouri program told the Tribune that the Tigers never signed on to play in the event and thus have not technically opted out.

The Tribune also filed an open records request with Missouri shortly after initial reports surfaced that the Tigers had signed a four-year deal to participate in the event, requesting the competition contract that would need

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