Purdue players gather together after their defeat of Marquette in the Maui Invitational championship game at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.
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.
From NFL plays to college sports scores, all the top sports news you need to know every day.
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.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Maui Invitational returning to Lahaina Civic Center in 2024 after deadly wildfires
News Related-
Russian court extends detention of Wall Street Journal reporter Gershkovich until end of January
-
Russian court extends detention of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, arrested on espionage charges
-
Israel's economy recovered from previous wars with Hamas, but this one might go longer, hit harder
-
Stock market today: Asian shares mixed ahead of US consumer confidence and price data
-
EXCLUSIVE: ‘Sister Wives' star Christine Brown says her kids' happy marriages inspired her leave Kody Brown
-
NBA fans roast Clippers for losing to Nuggets without Jokic, Murray, Gordon
-
Panthers-Senators brawl ends in 10-minute penalty for all players on ice
-
CNBC Daily Open: Is record Black Friday sales spike a false dawn?
-
Freed Israeli hostage describes deteriorating conditions while being held by Hamas
-
High stakes and glitz mark the vote in Paris for the 2030 World Expo host
-
Biden’s unworkable nursing rule will harm seniors
-
Jalen Hurts: We did what we needed to do when it mattered the most
-
LeBron James takes NBA all-time minutes lead in career-worst loss
-
Vikings' Kevin O'Connell to evaluate Josh Dobbs, path forward at QB