USC’s men’s basketball team is headed back into the non-conference spotlight next season, with the Trojans set to take part in the Acrisure Series in Palm Desert during the 2026-27 campaign.
The schedule release gives USC three non-conference games in the event, with two of them set for Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert. The series opens with Duke meeting Washington State on Nov. 21 in Palm Desert, then USC will play a home game on Nov. 22 against an opponent that has not yet been announced. The Trojans will then return for a two-day stretch on Nov. 25 and Nov. 26, with those games set to air on CBS Sports Network.
During that Thanksgiving week window, USC will face two teams from a group that includes Arizona State, LSU, SMU, South Carolina and Utah State.
Tickets for the event are expected to go on sale later this summer.
The Acrisure Series will be the second tournament event of Eric Musselman’s USC tenure. The Trojans previously played Saint Mary's and New Mexico in the 2024-25 season.
USC also enters the upcoming season with a roster that looks loaded. Guards Alijah Arenas and Rodney Rice are back, forward Jacob Cofie returns, and the Trojans added seven players through the portal. The frontcourt also got a boost from Christian Collins and the high school arrivals of Adonis and Darius Ratliff.
The rest of USC’s non-conference slate will be revealed later, and the full schedule is expected in the fall.
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Lincoln Riley Made One USC Staff Decision Fans Should Love
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Savages rise fits the larger theme of the offseason: USC is trying to strengthen the defense without losing the staff members who have helped build relationships and keep the roster moving forward. Trovon Reed, the cornerbacks coach, was also retained, a sign the Trojans did not want to lose the recruiting momentum and player trust he has built. With Patterson setting the tone on one side of the ball and familiar lieutenants staying in place around him, Riley is trying to strike the balance between a fresh start and continuity, and that is exactly the kind of staff construction fans usually want to see. [Read more 🡒]
USC Faces Another Massive Receiver Battle Fans Know Too Well
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For Tuaone, this decision is shaping up around the kind of things elite receivers tend to remember: coaching relationships, the feel of a program, and how each staff fits him long term. Miami has been making a strong case with its ties close to home, while USC is trying to stand its ground in a battle that has already seen the Hurricanes track another former Trojans target. [Read more 🡒]
USC Has A New Penn State Threat To Worry About
Penn State enters the season with a passing game in transition after losing its top five leading receivers from last year, and that leaves a wide-open path for someone to seize a bigger role. One of the names USC has to keep on its radar is Amarion Jackson, a former safety who ended up at receiver because of injuries and now looks like a real option for an offense that needs answers.
Jacksons path is a little different from the usual freshman arrival, since he followed coach Campbell from Iowa State to Penn State after flipping his pledge. He has also turned heads in spring work, which only adds to the sense that he could be one of the more important new pieces in Penn States offense when the matchup with USC eventually comes into focus. [Read more 🡒]