LAS VEGAS — Players Era Festival organizers have done what so many other have tried — bet their fortunes in this city that a big payoff is coming. Such bet are usually bad ones, which is why so many massive casino-resorts have been built on Las Vegas Boulevard. But it doesn't mean the organizers are wrong. They're counting on the minimum of $1 million in guaranteed name, image and likeness money that will go to each of the eight teams competing in the neutral-site tournament that begins Tuesday will create a precedent for other such events. EverWonder Studios CEO Ian Orefice, who co-founded Players with former AND1 CEO Seth Berger, compared this event to last year's inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament that played its semifinals and final in Las Vegas by saying it "did really well to reinvigorate the fan base at the beginning of the year." "We're excited that we're able to really change the paradigm in college basketball on the economics," Orefice said. "But for us, it's about the long term. How do we use the momentum that is launching with the 2024 Players Era Festival and be the catalyst not to change one event, but to change college basketball for the future." Orefice and Berger didn't disclose financial details, but said the event will come close to breaking even this year and that revenue is in eight figures. Orefice said the bulk of the revenue will come from relationships with MGM, TNT Sports and Publicis Sport & Entertainment as well as sponsors that will be announced later. Both organizers said they are so bullish on the tournament's prospects that they already are planning ahead. Money made from this year's event, Orefice said, goes right back into the company. "We're really in this for the long haul," Orefice said. "So we're not looking at it on a one-year basis." Rick Giles is president of the Gazelle Group, which also operates several similar events, including the College Basketball Invitational. He was skeptical the financial numbers would work. Giles said in addition to more than $8 million going to the players, there were other expenses such as the guarantees to the teams. He said he didn't know if the tournament would make up the difference with ticket sales, broadcast rights and sponsorship money. The top bowl of the MGM Grand Garden Arena will be curtained off. "The math is highly challenging," Giles said. "Attendance and ticket revenues are not going to come anywhere close to covering that. They haven't announced any sponsors that I'm aware of. So it all sort of rests with their media deal with Turner and how much capital they want to commit to it to get these players paid." David Carter, a University of Southern California adjunct professor who also runs the Sports Business Group consultancy, said even if the Players isn't a financial success this year, the question is whether there will be enough interest to move forward. "If there is bandwidth for another tournament and if the TV or the streaming ratings are going to be there and people are going to want to attend and companies are going to want to sponsor, then, yeah, it's probably going to work," Carter said. "But it may take them time to gain that traction." Both founders said they initially were met with skepticism about putting together such an event, especially from teams they were interested in inviting. Houston was the first school to commit, first offering an oral pledge early in the year and then signing a contract in April. That created momentum for others to join, and including the No. 6 Cougars, half the field is ranked. "We have the relationships to operate a great event," Berger said. "We had to get coaches over those hurdles, and once they knew that we were real, schools got on board really quickly." The founders worked with the NCAA to make sure the tournament abided by that organization's rules, so players must appear at ancillary events in order to receive NIL money. Strict pay for play is not allowed, though there are incentives for performance. The champion, for example, will receive $1.5 million in NIL money. Now the pressure is on to pull off the event and not create the kind of headlines that can dog it for years to come. "I think everybody in the marketplace is watching what's going to happen (this) week and, more importantly, what happens afterwards," Giles said. "Do the players get paid on a timely basis? And if they do, that means that Turner or somebody has paid way more than the market dictates? And the question will be: Can that continue?" CREIGHTON: P oint guard Steven Ashworth likely won’t play in the No. 21 Bluejays’ game against San Diego State in the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas. Ashworth sprained his right ankle late in a loss to Nebraska on Friday and coach Greg McDermott said afterward he didn’t know how long he would be out. Get local news delivered to your inbox!Champions League: Bayer Leverkusen soar without Boniface; Lookman ignored as Atalanta smash Young Boys

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In a match that could affect both the relegation battle and the race for European football, Borussia Monchengladbach are set to welcome St Pauli to Borussia-Park on Sunday in their 11th Bundesliga game of the campaign. Die Fohlen are ninth with 14 points and managed to earn a point against RB Leipzig on November 9 after drawing 0-0, whereas their opponents are third-last in 16th place with eight points and were beaten 1-0 by Bayern Munich on November 9. © Imago Borussia Monchengladbach are currently two points from sixth-placed Union Berlin, who occupy the Bundesliga's Conference League qualification spot, and they are just three points from Bayer Leverkusen, who hold the last of four Champions League places. Sunday's hosts were excellent in the first half against Leipzig, creating two big chances and limiting Die Roten Bullen to none, but Borussia Monchengladbach retreated deeper in the second half. Head coach Gerardo Seoane suggested that the decision to defend deeper was tactical rather than his players being forced back, telling reporters in the aftermath of the draw: "In the first half, we created a lot of chances to take the lead. We threatened again and again because of our good mix of possession, counterattacking and set pieces. After the break, we sat very deep and wanted to hold on to the point." Seoane's side have scored 15 goals and conceded 14 times in the Bundesliga, and these records make them the division's joint eighth-best offensive and joint sixth-best defensive club in the top flight. Die Fohlen's form in the league in recent weeks has been somewhat better given they have won two and drawn two of their last four Bundesliga outings, whereas they had lost three of the prior four. They have also won their three most recent home matches in the top flight, a significant improvement on their previous seven home fixtures, a period in which they drew three and lost four. © Imago St Pauli come into Sunday's clash having lost against Bayern, though they should take positives from that game considering they were able to frustrate the rampant Bavarians in front of goal. Indeed, Vincent Kompany 's side had scored 32 goals in their first nine league matches, but Kiezkicker's opponents produced just 0.8 xG on the day. Head coach Alexander Blessin praised his players, saying: "If you only lose 1-0 to Bayern, you've done a lot of things right overall. We didn't allow many chances. We knew we wouldn't get many chances from open play because they just press well." Blessin's team have lost four of their six most recent games, but they have picked up four points from their last three Bundesliga outings, winning one, drawing one and losing one. St Pauli have also triumphed in two of their past three away games in the league, and their record of 12 goals conceded is the top flight's fifth-best tally. © Imago Seoane's side have relatively few injury concerns, though they will still be without defender Luca Netz and attacking midfielder Yvandro Borges Sanches until next month. The hosts could field a back four consisting of Joseph Scally , Marvin Friedrich , Ko Itakura and Lukas Ullrich , and they will be tasked with protecting goalkeeper Moritz Nicolas . Borussia Monchengladbach are likely to start Rocco Reitz and Julian Weigl as a pairing in midfield behind Alassane Plea . St Pauli have a number of absentees, including goalkeepers Soren Ahlers , Sascha Burchert and Ben Alexander Voll , as well as centre-back Adam Dzwigala . Nikola Vasilj can be expected to start in goal behind a back three featuring Hauke Wahl , Eric Smith and Karol Mets . However, midfielders Conor Metcalfe and Robert Wagner will miss out, as will forwards Elias Saad , Scott Banks and Simon Zoller . Jackson Irvine and Carlo Boukhalfa may start in a double pivot, while Johannes Eggestein could be given the nod up front. Borussia Monchengladbach possible starting lineup: Nicolas; Scally, Friedrich, Itakura, Ullrich; Reitz, Weigl; Honorat, Plea, Hack; Kleindienst St Pauli possible starting lineup: Vasilj; Wahl, Smith, Mets; Saliakas, Irvine, Boukhalfa, Treu; Afolayan, Eggestein, Guilavogui Borussia Monchengladbach have been in better form of late, and it is difficult to see them losing at home. Having said that, St Pauli may prove to be stubborn opposition, and it would not be surprising if they managed to hold out for a draw. For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here .But it is not the largest prize a person has won in this country. Here are the 10 biggest UK lottery winners – all from EuroMillions draws – and what some of them did with their fortunes. – Anonymous, £195,707,000 A UK ticket-holder scooped the record EuroMillions jackpot of £195 million on July 19 2022 – the biggest National Lottery win of all time. – Joe and Jess Thwaite, £184,262,899.10 Joe and Jess Thwaite, from Gloucester, scooped a then record-breaking £184,262,899 with a Lucky Dip ticket for the draw on May 10 2022. At the time, Joe was a communications sales engineer, and Jess ran a hairdressing salon with her sister. – Unclaimed ticket holder, £177 million Tuesday’s winner is wealthier than former One Direction member Harry Styles and heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua, who are both worth £175 million, according to the latest Sunday Times Rich List. Players have been urged to check their tickets to see if they can claim the prize. – Anonymous, £170,221,000 The fourth biggest winner of the National Lottery to date scooped £170 million in October 2019, after matching all the numbers in a Must Be Won draw. – Colin and Chris Weir, £161,653,000 Colin and Chris Weir, from Largs, North Ayrshire, bagged their historic winnings in July 2011, making them the biggest UK winners at the time. Colin used £2.5 million of his fortune to invest in his beloved Partick Thistle Football Club, which led to one of the stands at the stadium being named after him. He later acquired a 55% shareholding in the club, which was to be passed into the hands of the local community upon his death. He died in December 2019, aged 71. The couple also set up the Weir Charitable Trust in 2013 and donated £1 million to the Scottish independence referendum in 2014. They divorced in the same year as Colin’s death. – Adrian and Gillian Bayford, £148,656,000 Adrian and Gillian won 190 million euros in a EuroMillions draw in August 2012, which came to just over £148 million. The couple bought a Grade II listed estate in Cambridgeshire, complete with cinema and billiards room, but it was sold in 2021, some years after the pair divorced, as reported by The Mirror. – Anonymous, £123,458,008 The seventh biggest National Lottery winner won a Superdraw rollover jackpot in June 2019, and decided not to go public with their success. – Anonymous, £122,550,350 After nine rollovers, one lucky anonymous ticket-holder bagged more than £122 million in April 2021. – Anonymous, £121,328,187 Another of the UK’s top 10 lottery winners found their fortune through a Superdraw jackpot rollover, this time in April 2018. – Frances and Patrick Connolly, £114,969,775 Former social worker and teacher Frances set up two charitable foundations after she and her husband won almost £115 million on New Year’s Day 2019. She estimates that she has already given away £60 million to charitable causes, as well as friends and family. She considers helping others to be an addiction, saying: “It gives you a buzz and it’s addictive. I’m addicted to it now.”