The Maui Invitational is on life support as a prestigious tournament

Thanksgiving week is almost here, which means it’s nearly time to enjoy a buffet of college basketball action. The main course has traditionally been the Maui Invitational, the most prestigious of the holiday tournaments. Since its inaugural 1984 tipoff, we have seen some of the most storied programs battle it out in Hawaii.

Who doesn’t love to watch brand-name schools with elite prospects battle it out in a tiny gym? Normally, this would be something to celebrate. But this year, you’re going to notice something different about your TV experience. Not only are there no bluebloods in paradise, but there is just one ranked school in the 8-team field. The tournament, which starts Nov. 24, features No. 25 NC State, Seton Hall, USC, Boise State, Washington State, Chaminade, Arizona State, and Texas. None were ranked in the Associated Press Preseason Top 25 poll.

If you think this is a one-year outlier, guess again. The 2026 tournament includes Arizona, BYU, Ole Miss, Clemson, Colorado State, Providence, VCU, and Washington. What in the name of Dick Vitale is going on? Where are Duke, North Carolina, Michigan State, Kentucky, UConn, Kansas, Indiana, UCLA, Villanova, etc.? Just last year, the Maui Invitational had North Carolina, UConn, and Michigan State.

What has changed? The simple answer is money. Well, as you probably have noticed, things are changing at warp speed in college athletics these days. Some of those changes are drastically affecting long-held traditions. The decline in elite programs at the Maui Invitational is a reflection of that. Schools have more choices for holiday tournaments, and showcase events face greater competition than ever before.

The nouveau riche have moved into the neighborhood, driving up the cost of everything. The Players Era Festival is a leviathan. Last year’s inaugural tournament in Las Vegas had eight men’s teams. This season, it has expanded to 18 with games from Nov. 24 to Nov. 26. Not coincidentally, these are the same dates as the Maui Invitational. The Players Era Festival field consists of seven ranked teams: No. 2 Houston, No. 7 Michigan, No. 11 Alabama, No. 14 St. John’s, No.16 Iowa State, No. 22 Auburn, and No. 24 Kansas.

Last year’s tournament reportedly offered up to $9 million in NIL opportunities for participating players. This season, that has mushroomed to $24 million. That kind of cash makes it challenging for other tournaments to compete. The inception of the Players Era Festival has not only affected the Maui Invitational.

The Battle 4 Atlantis, which started in 2011, was once considered the biggest threat to the Maui Invitational. Last year’s field was Arizona, Gonzaga, Indiana, Louisville, Creighton, West Virginia, Oklahoma, and Davidson. This year, it’s Virginia Tech, Saint Mary’s, Vanderbilt, South Florida, VCU, Colorado State, Western Kentucky, and Wichita State. Auburn, originally scheduled to be in the Bahamas, backed out. The Tigers will be in Las Vegas next weekend. Ohio State also withdrew.

You can’t blame the schools for doing what’s best for their bottom line. Even during the best of times, trips outside the continental United States were never cheap. The Great Alaska Shootout was a fantastic holiday treat for college basketball fans for decades. Times and economics change, and the men’s version of the tournament died in 2017. (The women’s version of this event still exists.)

The Maui Invitational probably won’t go away, at least as long as it’s broadcast on ESPN. But if The Worldwide Leader in Sports can’t convince North Carolina, Duke, Kentucky, or UConn to return in the future, that’s a problem. Duke has won Maui five times and has played in some of the most memorable games in the tournament, including when the Zion Williamson-led top-ranked Blue Devils lost in the championship game to No.3 Gonzaga 89-87 in 2018.

In the meantime, we’ll have to get used to this version of the Maui Invitational. These could still be good games. And NC State, coached by infamous NCAA rules breaker Will Wade, makes for a good story. It would be fun to see the Wolfpack make a run to the championship game. However, college basketball’s regular season depends on blueblood programs playing in must-see matchups. 

Here’s hoping that the powers that be find a way to elevate the Maui Invitational back to its former status.