Wisconsin Badgers
MAUI, HI (WSAU) — For the second straight year, the prestigious Maui Jim Maui Invitational men’s basketball tournament has been moved to the mainland United States due to COVID-19 protocols.
Organizers of the eight-team event announced the move on Saturday, citing uncertainty around travel restrictions to the islands. Maui Mayor Michael Victorino said with 60 days to go before the tournament tips off there was no guarantee that some of the restrictions would be lifted, meaning organizers needed to get started now if the event were to be moved.
The tournament will now be held at the Michelob ULTRAArena at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino November 22nd-24th.
Wisconsin is one of the eight teams participating in this year’s event and will play three games over three days beginning with a first-round matchup against Texas A&M. Day two will feature the Badgers against either Houston or Butler, and on Day three they’ll play one of the four schools in the bottom of the bracket- Oregon, St. Mary’s (CA), Notre Dame, or the tournament host Chaminade University of Hawaii, a Division II school.
The 2020 Maui Jim Maui Invitational was played in Ashville, NC. Organizers say they chose Vegas for this year’s event because it is closer to the islands, jokingly calling it the “9th Hawiian Island.”
Tickets information for Badger fans will be announced soon. Organizers say they will be requiring either proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative test for the disease upon entry to the arena, and face coverings will also be required for spectators.
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