Out of respect for the people who have been affected by the wildfires, the Maui Invitational will relocate to Honolulu, a source involved in the planning but not authorized to speak publicly confirmed to The Athletic. Initially, organizers hoped to keep the Thanksgiving tournament on the island and infuse financial support to the devastated community, but instead have opted to relocate to allow people space to recover. Additionally, the Lahaina Civic Center, where the tournament is played, is being used for FEMA and other relief workers, and much of the fiber optics needed to televise the event have been damaged.
Instead, the tourney will be played in Oahu, on the University of Hawaii campus. An official announcement could come by the end of this week.
The Messenger first reported the move.
Organizers also hope to use the relocated tournament as a continued fundraising effort for the victims of the Maui fires. Already, the Maui Invitational has launched Hoops for Ohana, an online auction of basketball memorabilia, game tickets and gear, and several schools have partnered to host charitable exhibition games.
This year’s field includes Kansas, Marquette, Purdue, Gonzaga, Syracuse, Tennessee, UCLA and Chaminade.
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