Report: 2023 Maui Invitational expected to move to Honolulu
Due to wildfires that ravaged west Maui last month, organizers of the 2023 Maui Invitational are in the process of moving the college basketball tournament from Lahaina to Honolulu, according to a report from CBS Sports' Seth Davis.
Plans are being made to play the games from Nov. 20-22 at the University of Hawaii's SimpliFi Arena at the Stan Sheriff Center. The 10,300-seat arena is much larger than the Lahaina Civic Center, the tournament's traditional host venue. The LCC was not damaged during the wildfires but is currently being used to coordinate relief efforts from various organizations.
Solidifying SimpliFi Arena, home of the Rainbow Warriors basketball and volleyball teams, requires moving games scheduled during the tournament. The men's basketball team had a home game scheduled for Nov. 21, though arena officials stated the game could be delayed or played elsewhere for the Maui Invitational.
According to Davis, the final hurdle for event organizers comes down to the availability of hotels. Gov. Josh Green has strongly discouraged all non-essential travel to West Maui until mid-October, as hotels have temporarily stopped accepting future reservations. But with the tournament on Oahu, there should be lodging as the arena sits near Waikiki Beach.
Often considered one of the premier in-season tournaments, the 2023 Maui Invitational assembled one of the strongest fields in the tournament's history with Gonzaga, Kansas, Marquette, Purdue, Syracuse, Tennessee, UCLA and host Chaminade. The Zags are slated to face the Boilermakers in the tournament's first round before taking on either Syracuse or Tennessee.
College basketball programs across the country are showing their support for Maui through charity games and fundraisers. Michigan State hosts Tennessee on Oct. 29 in a charity exhibition, while Kansas and Illinois will do the same in Champaign, Illinois. Saint Mary's will visit Honolulu on Oct. 20 to play a charity game against Hawaii at the Stan Sheriff Center.
