SPOKANE, Wash. – Gonzaga men's basketball and Southern California will start off their 2024-25 seasons with a charity exhibition matchup in Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, Calif., Oct. 26. A portion of the proceeds will help support Eisenhower Health's growing Cardiovascular Institute in Rancho Mirage, Calif.
Tickets for this event go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. PT at Ticketmaster.com, the official ticketing provider of Acrisure Arena, with a presale available on Thursday, October 10, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. PT. Ticket prices start at just $25 plus applicable fees. More info available at
https://acrisurearena.com/event/gonzaga-vs-usc/.
USC and GU have met four times in the regular season, with both teams winning twice. The Bulldogs have won the last two meetings, in the 2021 Elite Eight and last season in Las Vegas 89-76. Gonzaga led wire-to-wire in last year's matchup, with
Ryan Nembhard and
Dusty Stromer each scoring 15 points.
Graham Ike and
Ben Gregg each added 14 for the Bulldogs. Six Zags finished in double-digit scoring, with a seventh scoring nine points.
The Trojans won the first two matchups in the series. USC won the first all-time meeting, 77-60, on Dec. 4, 1991, in the Spokane Coliseum. The following season, Southern California picked up a win at home, 77-59, on Dec. 7, 1992.
With first year USC head coach Eric Musselman at the helm and 12 new scholarship players, the Trojans will set its course toward a successful showing in 2024-25. Last year, USC finished off the 2023-24 season with a 15-18 record and went 8-12 in its final season in the Pac-12. This year, USC begins its inaugural season in the Big Ten Conference.
Gonzaga starts its regular season schedule against Baylor in the Spokane Arena Nov. 4.
About Acrisure Arena
America's hottest music festival destination finally has the world-class arena it deserves. Opened December 14, 2022, the Acrisure Arena provides the greater Palm Springs area of Southern California with a premiere 11,000+ capacity venue to host the biggest artists and acts on the planet. Designed specifically for hockey and concerts, the new arena provides top-tier hospitality, artist amenities, and all of the benefits of a modern music and sports venue. In addition, the facility will serve as the new home of the American Hockey League affiliate of the Seattle Kraken, the Coachella Valley Firebirds.
