Where will the 2023 Maui Invitational be held?

The event organizers appear to be determined to hold it in Hawaii

As support continues to pour in for those affected by the West Maui wildfires, event organizers for the 2023 Maui Invitational have yet to make an official decision on the future of the tournament.

Public relations firm KemperLesnik, the event's organizer, issued a news release Monday regarding the status of the Maui Invitational which is scheduled to be played at the Lahaina Civic Center in November. Gonzaga is slated to face Purdue in the first round of the tournament.

“Our focus has been and will continue to be on the people of Maui,” the news release said. “No decision has been made yet as to the location of this year’s Maui Invitational, which will be played Nov. 20-22. At the appropriate time, we will meet with Maui officials to discuss where we can best host the event in a safe and respectful manner for residents, players, staff and fans.”

The LCC survived and has been used as a shelter for those impacted by the wildfires that burned over 2,000 acres of land in Maui in early August. Gov. Josh Green has strongly discouraged all non-essential travel to West Maui until mid-October, as hotels have temporarily stopped accepting future reservations. With over 2,200 structures destroyed by the fires, event organizers are mulling alternative locations to host.

The LCC has hosted the tournament since 1986, except for the 2020 event which was held in North Carolina and in 2021 when it was in Las Vegas, both because of COVID-19 restrictions.

Spectrum News reported that the University of Hawaii’s 10,300-seat Stan Sheriff Center on Oahu is in play as a potential home for the tournament. The Rainbow Warriors have a home game scheduled on Nov. 21 that could be delayed or played elsewhere, according to Stan Sheriff Center arena manager Rich Sheriff.

If the tournament remains in Maui, potential locations include the South Maui Community Park Gymnasium in Kihei and War Memorial Gym in Wailuku. The Kihei facility is more modern and holds 718 people, while the War Memorial Gym is much older yet seats at least 1,200. Regardless, Chaminade basketball coach Eric Bovaird said he's "99% sure" the event will be held in Hawaii.

"Hawaii is our No. 1 through 25 option ... I'm pretty confident that that's going to happen (there). I'd be very surprised if after all the people I've talked to, if our president (Lynn Babington) and KemperLesnik decided for some reason to want to go to Vegas," Bovaird told Spectrum News.

While Gonzaga, Chaminade, Kansas, Marquette, Purdue, Syracuse, Tennessee and UCLA await a decision, college basketball programs across the country are showing their support for Maui through charity games and fundraisers.

On Oct. 29, Michigan State will host Tennessee in a charity game with all the proceeds going to the Hawai’i Community Foundation Maui Strong Fund, which will help those in need after the Maui wildfires. Similarly, on the same day, Kansas and Illinois will also square off in an exhibition game for charity in Champaign, Illinois. 

Saint Mary's will visit Honolulu on Oct. 20 to play a charity game against Hawaii at the SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center. 

Gonzaga has appeared in five Maui Invitational events, most recently in 2018 when the Zags won the tournament over top-ranked Duke in one of the most-watched college basketball games in recent memory. It was the program's second time winning the event, the first coming in 2009.