Chaminade players celebrate their win over Cal during the 2017 Maui Invitational at Lahaina Civic Center. With the Lahaina Civic Center unavailable following the Aug. 8 wildfires, this year’s tournament will be played at the University of Hawaii’s Stan Sheriff Center. — The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo
This year’s Maui Invitational men’s college basketball tournament will shift to the island of Oahu while its traditional home court — the Lahaina Civic Center — continues to serve as a critical hub for Maui wildfire recovery efforts, tournament organizer KemperLesnik announced Friday.
The 2023 tournament will be held at the Stan Sheriff Center on the campus of the University of Hawaii at Manoa, from Nov. 20-22.
According to a spokesperson for the event on Friday, title sponsor Maui Jim has stepped back from the tournament this year while the event is held on Oahu.
All eight teams from the original field are participating, including five that are in the top 10 of ESPN’s preseason poll: No. 1 Kansas, No. 3 Purdue, No. 7 Gonzaga, No. 8 Tennessee and No. 10 Marquette.
Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen said in the news release announcing the move on Friday that the county simply could not make the LCC available.
Dayton’s Jalen Crutcher drives against of Ochai Agbaji of Kansas in the 2019 Maui Invitational championship game. — The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo
“We are disappointed that we could not make the Lahaina Civic Center available for the Maui Invitational this year, but we are thankful the Tournament is staying in Hawai’i,” Bissen said in the news release. “We appreciate everything the Maui Invitational is doing to help Maui and its residents.”
Gov. Josh Green said the event is essential to the state and specifically Maui.
“The Maui Invitational is a great event that celebrates all of Hawai’i,” Green said in the news release. “We look forward to welcoming players, staff and fans to Oahu and using the Tournament and its international TV audience as a way to bring attention to and raise funds for Maui recovery efforts.”
The 2023 event marks the third time in four years that the event has not been held on the Valley Isle. In 2021, it was held in Las Vegas and in 2020 it was held in Asheville, N.C., both times due to the pandemic.
“While we have to move this year’s Tournament off of Maui, we are determined to celebrate and honor the culture and traditions that make this event so special,” Tom Valdiserri, executive vice president of KemperSports LIVE, said in the news release. “Throughout this process, we’ve seen the spirit of ‘ohana in action. Thank you to Governor Josh Green, Hawai’i Tourism Authority, and Mayor Richard Bissen as well as the staff at Chaminade University of Honolulu and University of Hawai’i at Manoa for working tirelessly with us to keep this year’s Tournament in Hawai’i.”
Gonzaga’s Demetri Goodson drives against Wisconsin in the 2009 tournament semifinals. Both Kansas and Gonzaga are in this year’s tournament field. — The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo
When asked by The Maui News about the event returning to Maui in 2024 and beyond, the tournament provided a statement from Valdiserri in the affirmative.
“We are grateful to keep the Tournament in Hawaii, and we are determined to celebrate and honor the Aloha Spirit that makes this event so special. We look forward to returning to Maui in 2024,” Valdiserri said.
All previously purchased tickets for the 2023 tournament will be honored and located in similar seats in the Stan Sheriff Center.
Additional tickets will go on sale in early October at mauiinvitational.com. Fans who have previously purchased tournament travel packages will be offered comparable travel packages with beach hotels in Honolulu. More details about the on-site experience, including event parking, will be provided in the coming weeks.
The tournament launched the Hoops for Ohana online auction last week in partnership with Hawai’i Community Foundation’s Maui Strong Fund. All the proceeds will go directly to wildfire relief and recovery efforts. Fans can bid on items donated by past Maui Invitational basketball programs and tournament partners.
* Robert Collias is at [email protected]
