PALM SPRINGS, Calif. – Saint Louis men's basketball will return to one of the nation's premier Thanksgiving events when it competes in the 2026 Acrisure Series at Acrisure Arena in Greater Palm Springs, Calif., Nov. 24-25. It marks the second consecutive season the Billikens have participated in the event.

The Billikens open play against Grand Canyon on Tuesday, Nov. 24, at 8:30 p.m. CT. The other game of the pod pits Colorado vs. Stanford. The winners and losers of Tuesday's games will meet on Wednesday, Nov. 25, at either 8:30 p.m. CT (championship game) or 11 p.m. CT (third-place game). Both of the Billikens' games will be televised nationally on CBSSN.

"We're excited to be part of the Acrisure Series field once again," Saint Louis head coach Josh Schertz said. "I thought our overall experience last year was a really good one. We got two incredible Quad 1/2 games, and our players and fans had a great time. It's become the premier Thanksgiving MTE in terms of the quality of competition, and I expect this year's event to be the same."

Fans can purchase tickets in the Saint Louis fan section through the Billiken Ticket Office by clicking here.

This will mark the third consecutive season Saint Louis and Grand Canyon have met on the hardwood. The teams split a home-and-home series, with the Lopes winning in Phoenix in 2024 and the Billikens claiming a 78-64 win at Chaifetz Arena last season. 

The Bills played two thrilling games at last year's Acrisure Series. SLU defeated Santa Clara in the opener thanks in part to Kellen Thames' game-winning basket with less than 10 seconds remaining. In the championship game, Stanford hit a 3-pointer at the final buzzer.

The 2026 Acrisure Series field features one of the deepest collections of programs assembled anywhere in the country during Thanksgiving week, including Arizona State, California Baptist, Colorado, Fordham, Grand Canyon, Illinois State, Loyola Chicago, Loyola Marymount, LSU, Nevada, Oregon State, Portland, Saint Louis, San Diego, San Francisco, San José State, Santa Clara, Seattle, SMU, South Carolina, Stanford, Tulsa, UC Irvine, UC San Diego, USC, and Utah State. 

The Acrisure Series has quickly become one of college basketball's premier holiday events, bringing together top programs for elite competition during Thanksgiving week in California's Coachella Valley.