Maui Invitational returns to Lahaina, with UConn as its headliner
The reigning back-to-back national champion UConn Huskies will tip off their quest for a three-peat on Maui.
The bracket for the 40th Maui Invitational — which returns to Lahaina this November after wildfires last year prompted the tournament’s relocation to Honolulu — is officially set, organizers announced Tuesday.
The field features a third of The Athletic’s top 12 preseason teams: Iowa State (No. 5), Connecticut (No. 7), Auburn (No. 10), and North Carolina (No. 12).
“This year’s Maui Invitational is one of the strongest fields in tournament history,” tournament chairman Dave Odom said in a statement. “The field is packed with teams looking to make a run in the NCAA Tournament along with UConn who is making their fifth appearance in the Maui Invitational and looking to defend their back-to-back national championships.”
Just as important as the teams participating is that the event will return to Maui from Nov. 25 to 27. In August 2023, wildfires killed some 100 people on Maui and destroyed much of downtown Lahaina, where the invitational is held. Tournament organizers initially hoped they’d still be able to host the 2023 iteration, but safety and broadcasting concerns resulted in the tournament moving to SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.
It was the third time in the past four seasons that the event wasn’t held on Maui. In both 2020 and 2021, the tournament was held on the mainland due to COVID-19 complications: first in Asheville, N.C., and later in Las Vegas. Still, proceeds from last year’s event — coupled with an auction held by college basketball coaches — raised over $2 million for relief efforts.
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“We appreciate the unwavering support and sensitivity in navigating this difficult time and appreciate their commitment to bringing this much-anticipated event back to Maui’s community,” Maui mayor Richard Bissen said in a statement in February when the tournament first confirmed it would be returning to Lahaina.
Five teams that won the Maui Invitational — Michigan in 1988, UConn in 2010, and UNC in 2004, 2008, and 2016 — have gone on to win the national championship.
The field for the 2025 event has already been released, too, and features Bayor, Texas, and NC State, among others.
