The Maui Invitational announced the field for the 2026 tournament and your Washington Huskies will be the representative for the Big Ten. The tournament, which always spans the Monday through Wednesday of Thanksgiving week, will also feature Arizona, BYU, Clemson, Colorado State, Ole Miss, Providence, and VCU.
The Maui Invitational used to be the premier non-conference tournament in the country but that status has waned somewhat in recent years. The Players Era Festival which features cash prizes to the winners in our new NIL world has become the biggest draw for 2025 which led to a somewhat depleted field that includes just 1 team that made last year’s NCAA tournament (Texas).
The 2026 version seems likely to include at least 4 teams that made the NCAA tournament and hopefully 5+ if Washington lives up to expectations with a revamped roster. Arizona, BYU, Clemson, and Ole Miss were all top-6 seeds in the tournament this past season while VCU and Colorado State also each qualified (although both saw their head coaches hired away to bigger jobs in the offseason). Providence is the lone other team that failed to make the tourney last year as they have yet to find their footing through two seasons under Kim English. The 2026 group is an even stronger field as host Chaminade only competes every other year and they are taking part in this fall’s tournament instead.
This is only the 2nd time that the Huskies have played in Maui. The other was back in 2010 during a season in which the Huskies ultimately earned a #7 seed to the NCAA tournament and lost in the 2nd round to North Carolina. During the tournament, Washington destroyed Virginia 106-63 in the first round before suffering consecutive single-digit losses to Kentucky and Michigan State.
Washington’s trip to Maui means a return home for incoming Husky freshman JJ Mandaquit who is a native of Hilo, Hawai’i.
The 2026 edition will take place from November 23-25, 2026 so if you need to figure out how to convince your partner/parents/other that it’s worth it to take the entire family to Hawai’i for Thanksgiving next year, start coming up with your argument now.