College basketball fans will be treated to another early-season NCAA Tournament atmosphere Tuesday night as No. 6 Houston and No. 9 Alabama face off in the first round of the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas.

The inaugural Players Era Festival will take place this week, with Houston vs. Alabama on Tuesday as one of the marquee matchups in this NIL-driven event. Both are ranked in the top 10 and are part of the Impact Tournament side of the Players Era Festival 2024.

Tuesday night brought about what was arguably the toughest test yet for the 2024-25 Alabama Crimson Tide, as the nation’s No. 9 ranked program in the AP and Coaches Poll’s took to the court in Las Vegas against one of college basketball’s elite teams, the Houston Cougars.