Clemson Basketball Receives Opening Opponent For Maui Invitational

The Tigers are heading back to the Aloha State for the first time this century. Here's who they play.

Clemson basketball will play in Hawaii for the Maui Invitational at the beginning of Feast Week in November. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Clemson basketball generally sticks close to home when Thanksgiving comes around. However, that will be different this season ahead of the 2026-27 season. 

The Tigers will be taking part in the Maui Invitational in Hawaii this fall, being one of eight teams that will make the trip to the islands for a week of basketball. On Wednesday, head coach Brad Brownell and his team found out they would be playing Ole Miss in the first game. 

The Maui Invitational matchups are SET! 🤩🌺

What's the BEST opening round game? 🤔⬇️ pic.twitter.com/piwUqOnneu

— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) July 29, 2026

That contest will take place on Monday, Nov. 23, to open Feast Week in Lahiana. Clemson will tip off in the opening game of the tournament at 2:30 Eastern time. 

This is the first time that the Tigers are heading west to play in the Maui Invitational since the 1998-99 season. Despite falling in the opening match to Michigan that season, Clemson won its next two games, against Chaminade and Kansas State, to finish on the positive end of the event. 

Brownell’s team is on the favorable side of the bracket, avoiding the likes of Arizona, Providence and VCU. However, regardless of the win or loss, it will have to face a tough matchup between BYU and Washington on the following day. 

Of course, Clemson met the Cougars in the Jimmy V Classic in New York City last December. Instead of being the defining win of the Tigers’ season, Brownell’s group blew a 22-point lead in the second half to lose on a buzzer-beater from guard Robert Wright III. 

In that contest, eventual No. 1 overall pick, AJ Dybantsa, poured 28 points on Clemson. 

There are other storylines for the Tigers on the other side of the bracket. Three seasons ago, Clemson took down No. 2-seeded Arizona to advance to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament. It ended up being tied for the best finish in program history and the statement win of Brownell’s career with the program. 

It’s an interesting contest to open the tournament; however, one that social media has an interesting angle on due to events that aren’t happening on the court. Clemson and Ole Miss haven’t played each other since December 2007, which the Rebels won in an 85-82 contest in San Juan, Puerto Rico. 

The game puts two programs together that butted heads due to the Luke Ferrelli conflict. Clemson football lost its linebacker transfer to Ole Miss due to tampering, which has created a new issue in college football that football head coach Dabo Swinney exposed. 

We are a long way from that game, especially with several months remaining until the offseason, but all games for the Maui Invitational will be broadcast on ESPN. Regardless of win or loss, Clemson will play three games, which will determine its finish in the bracket.