A New Chapter for the Gamecocks
The 2026 Acrisure Series will descend on Thousand Palms, California, during the traditional Thanksgiving week window, bringing together 28 programs for a compact, high‑stakes showcase. Games will be staged at Acrisure Arena, a venue that also hosts the Coachella Valley Firebirds and the Coachella Valley Lakers, adding a unique basketball atmosphere to the event.
Among the confirmed participants are traditional powerhouses such as LSU, SMU, Southern California, Stanford, Arizona State, Colorado, Utah State, Grand Canyon, Nevada, Oregon State, Saint Louis, Santa Clara, Seattle, and Fresno State. The tournament’s structure groups the strongest teams into two pods, one of which will feature South Carolina alongside Southern Cal, Arizona State, Utah State, Grand Canyon, Saint Louis, Stanford, and Colorado, promising a rigorous schedule of matchups.
Official pairings will be announced later this summer, but the anticipation already surrounds the Gamecocks’ entry. Under head coach Lamont Paris, who is entering his fifth season in Columbia, South Carolina arrives after a 13‑19 campaign that nonetheless demonstrated steady progress. Paris’s tenure has been marked by incremental improvements and a focus on developing a competitive roster capable of challenging the nation’s elite.
The series is being promoted in partnership with CBS Sports, which will provide extensive coverage across its platforms, while the American Hockey League and NBA G League also list the event among their associated leagues, underscoring its cross‑sport appeal. For the Gamecocks, the tournament represents an opportunity to test their mettle against top‑tier competition, build momentum for the upcoming season, and potentially reshape perceptions of the program on a national stage.