Will Wade and LSU Will Face Multiple Top Programs in November at This Tournament

LSU is hitting the road for the holidays again, this time heading to the 2026 Acrisure Series in Palm Springs, according to Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports.

Will Wade and LSU are coming into the 2026-27 season with a fresh roster and coaching staff and will take it all on the road against multiple teams that made the NCAA tournament in 2026. The series will feature 28 total teams with multiple pods. Matchups will be released later this summer.

While it doesn't look like LSU will be in the top two pods, the Tigers will still face solid competition.

Who will LSU see in Palm Springs?

Will Wade reacts during a 2022 basketball game | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

It doesn't seem LSU has a clear spot in a pod yet, but Rothstein said the top two pods will feature USC, South Carolina, Arizona State, Utah State, Grand Canyon, Saint Louis, Stanford and Colorado.

Other teams playing in the tournament are San Francisco, UC Irvine, UC San Diego, Cal Baptist, San Diego, Tulsa, Fordham, Loyola Marymount, Nevada, Santa Clara, Oregon State and Washington State.

Both Cal Baptist and Santa Clara made the NCAA tournament in 2026, and the power conference programs offer a high level of competition for LSU. The Tigers played South Carolina twice this past year and split the series.

This tournament will get LSU some good exposure to West Coast teams, as most non-conference opponents for the Tigers typically come from the Southeast. It seems that LSU will be matched up with teams more to their talent level, as opposed to the bottom of the pool.

Though LSU could face a familiar foe, even if no one on the team knows him. Mazi Mosley transferred to Loyola Marymount in April after spending his freshman season with the Tigers.

LSU's history in Thanksgiving tournaments

LSU celebrates after winning the 2025 Emerald Coast Classic | Tyler Orsburn/News Herald / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

LSU has been mostly successful playing in a new place for the holidays. In 2025, the Tigers beat both Drake and DePaul to win the Emerald Coast Classic just before the season went downhill.

The Tigers took third place in the 2024 after losing to Pitt but beating UCF in a thriller that went to three overtimes.

In November 2021, the last holiday tournament in which Wade was coaching the Tigers, LSU took on the Emerald Coast Classic and beat both Penn State and Wake Forest to win the tournament.

One thing that is different about the Acrisure Series from previous holiday tournaments is that LSU could play on Thanksgiving day, something that hasn't been the case for LSU before. But, the competition that LSU gets to face this early into the season can be a big momentum boost for the Tigers.

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