GREATER PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (August 6, 2026) – SMU will face Utah State and LSU in the Acrisure Series Thanksgiving Event Nov. 25-26 at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, California.
This adds to a 2026-27 non-conference schedule that features marquee non-conference matchups at DePaul on Dec. 5, versus UNLV in the Hall of Fame Series Phoenix on Dec. 19, and hosting Oklahoma in Moody Coliseum on Dec. 22. SMU's 18-game ACC schedule includes home and away games with Georgia Tech and Louisville. The Mustangs will also host Cal, Clemson, Duke, Pitt, Stanford, Syracuse and Wake Forest at Moody Coliseum. The road-only contests are Boston College, Miami, North Carolina, NC State, Notre Dame, Virginia and Virginia Tech. The 2027 ACC Men's Basketball Tournament will take place March 9-13 at the First Horizon Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina.
The Mustangs enter their third season under Head Coach
Andy Enfield boasting one of the nation's top transfer classes, ranked No. 9 nationally and third in the ACC by On3. Last season, SMU reached its first NCAA Tournament since 2017, earned a pair of top-25 wins, and appeared in both the AP Top 25 and USA Today Coaches Poll for the first time in nine seasons. The Mustangs also tied for the ACC lead with three All-ACC selections and finished among the nation's top 30 in scoring, assists, field-goal percentage and three-point percentage.
This is the third consecutive season for the Mustangs to matchup with LSU in a neutral-site contest. SMU won the Acrisure Holiday Invitational in 2024-25, defeating Washington State 77-60 in the final.
Season tickets for the 2026-27 campaign are available
HERE. For any ticket questions, please contact 214-SMU-GAME or email
tickets@smu.edu.
SMU Men's Basketball 2026-27 (remaining non-conference schedule to be announced at a later date)
Wed. Nov. 25 vs Utah State Palm Desert, Ca. (Acrisure Arena)
Thu. Nov. 26 vs LSU Palm Desert, Ca. (Acrisure Arena)
Sat. Dec. 5 at DePaul Chicago, Ill. (Wintrust Arena)
Sat. Dec. 19 vs UNLV Phoenix, Ariz. (Mortgage Matchup Center)
Tue. Dec. 22 Oklahoma Moody Coliseum
ACC opponents
Home and Away: Georgia Tech, Louisville
Home Only: Cal, Clemson, Duke, Pitt, Stanford, Syracuse, Wake Forest
Away Only: Boston College, Miami, North Carolina, NC State, Notre Dame, Virginia, Virginia Tech
Acrisure Series Thanksgiving Event
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25
1pm CT/11am PT – SMU vs. Utah State
3:30CT/1:30pm PT – USC vs. South Carolina
6pm CT/4pm PT – Arizona State vs. LSU
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26
1pm CT/11am PT – Utah State vs. USC
3:30pm CT/1:30pm PT – SMU vs. LSU
6pm CT/4pm PT – South Carolina vs. Arizona State
Ticket Information for the Acrisure Series Thanksgiving Event (on sale Sat., Aug. 8 at 12 p.m. CT/10 a.m. PT)
Tickets are available online at
Ticketmaster.com, the official ticketing provider of Acrisure Arena. Tickets will also be available at the Ticketmaster Box Office at Acrisure Arena. Premium hospitality options, courtside seating, suites, and group sales opportunities will also be available.
Partner Hotel Information
Fans traveling to Palm Springs for the 2026 Acrisure Series Event can now book official partner hotel accommodations at both La Quinta Resort & Club and JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa. Both properties serve as premier host hotels for the Acrisure Series and provide fans, alumni, donors, and supporters with a first-class Palm Springs experience throughout the event weekend. These partner hotels are also where participating teams stay, creating a unique opportunity for fans to stay with the teams and be part of the full event atmosphere. Special fan rates are now available through the official booking links attached here, allowing guests to secure preferred pricing while staying at two of the top resort destinations in the Coachella Valley. With luxury accommodations, premium amenities, and close proximity to Acrisure Arena, both properties offer the ideal home base for the weekend.
Partner Hotel Fan Rate Links
La Quinta:
https://book.passkey.com/go/ThanksgivingFanRate
JW Marriott:
https://book.passkey.com/e/51259928
About Acrisure Arena
Opened in December 2022, Acrisure Arena provides the greater Palm Springs area with a premier 11,000+ capacity venue hosting the biggest artists, sporting events, and entertainment experiences in the region. The arena also serves as the home of the Coachella Valley Firebirds, the American Hockey League affiliate of the Seattle Kraken and the Coachella Valley Lakers, the NBA G-League affiliate of the Los Angeles Lakers.
About Total Sports Consulting
Total Sports Consulting (TSC) is a premier sports event management and consulting company specializing in the creation, operation, and commercialization of high-level collegiate basketball events across the country. TSC works directly with universities, conferences, arenas, broadcast partners, and corporate sponsors to develop and execute nationally recognized neutral-site games, multi-team events, holiday showcases, and championship-level experiences. The company oversees every aspect of event strategy and execution, including scheduling, television partnerships, sponsorship sales, venue operations, team logistics, hospitality, ticketing, and on-site management. TSC also specializes in revenue generation projects for athletic departments, including multimedia rights, naming rights, NIL solutions, coaching representation, and other large-scale sponsorship initiatives. From concept to final buzzer, TSC is focused on delivering first-class events that create value for schools, partners, and fans while continuing to elevate college basketball on a national stage. For more information, visit totalsportsconsulting.com.
