Every year, basketball teams from around the country vie for a chance to compete in one of the top early-season basketball tournaments, The Maui Jim Maui Invitational.
This year is the 40th annual tournament, and the teams competing in the 2023 Maui Invitational from November 20-22 are UCLA, Syracuse, Tennessee, Gonzaga, Kansas, Purdue, Marquette, and Chaminade.
The tournament is typically played at the historic Lahaina Civic Center in Maui, but due to the devastating wildfires that took place earlier this year, the games will be played on the island of O’ahu at the Stan Sheriff Center on the campus of The University of Hawaii at Manoa, according to the tournament’s official website:
"“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,” says Tom Valdiserri, executive vice president of KemperSports LIVE, the operator of the Maui Invitational. “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 Mānoa for working tirelessly with us to keep this year’s Tournament in Hawai’i.”"
The first round of games includes Tennessee vs. Syracuse and Gonzaga vs. Purdue in the morning, and then Kansas will face host-team Chaminade followed by UCLA vs. Marquette to finish off the day. All 12 games of the 2023 Maui Invitational will be broadcast on ESPN, ESPN2, or ESPNU.
Altogether, this years’ tournament teams have 259 NCAA Tournament appearances, 17 NCAA Tournament Championship Titles, and two AP Coach of the Year award winners— Mark Few in 2017 and Bill Self in 2009 and 2016.
The Auburn basketball program is set to compete in the 2024 Maui Invitational next year, and it will be the Tigers’ second all-time appearance in the prestigious tournament.