One of the biggest preseason men’s college basketball tournaments is returning home – or hale as they say in Hawaiian.
The Maui Invitational will be back on the Hawaiian island in 2024 and will be played at the Lahaina Civic Center, tournament organizers announced Thursday.
The tournament will return to Maui after a one-year absence as the island and Lahaina town continued recovering from the deadly wildfires that took place in August of 2023. Hundreds of homes and businesses were lost in the destruction and more than 100 people were killed.
The Lahaina Civic Center was not damaged in the fire but served as a center for government assistance for residents. Tournament organizers opted to not hold games there this season.
Instead, the tournament was moved to SimpliFi Arena at Sheriff Center on the University of Hawaii campus on Honolulu, with fundraisers taking place for Maui resident during the three-day event. Nearly $2 million was raised, organizers said. Purdue would win the 2023 tournament.
Maui Mayor Richard Bissen said in a statement he is looking forward to bringing the tournament back to its home island.
“We appreciate their unwavering support and sensitivity in navigating this difficult time and appreciate their commitment to bringing this much anticipated event back to Maui’s community,” Bissen said.
The 2024 field will include several top ranked teams, including Connecticut, North Carolina, Iowa State, Auburn and Dayton. Also participating will be Colorado, Memphis and Michigan State.