This year’s Maui Invitational will be played in Honolulu, not on beleaguered island

The 2023 Maui Invitational will be moved from Lahaina, Maui to the city of Honolulu on the Hawaiian island of Oahu, tournament organizers announced Friday.

Devastating Aug. 8 fires ravaged many parts of Lahaina, the annual site for the tourney, which this year celebrates its 40th season. The Lahaina Civic Center, home of the tourney, will continue to serve as a “critical hub for Maui wildlife recovery efforts,” tourney officials indicated in a news release.

This year’s Nov. 20-22 tournament, to include Kansas, Chaminade, UCLA, Marquette, Purdue, Gonzaga, Syracuse and Tennessee, will be contested at the University of Hawaii’s Stan Sheriff Center on the campus of the University of Hawaii at Manoa in Honolulu.

The home arena of the Hawaii Rainbows seats 10,300. Lahaina Civic Center in Maui seats 2,400. KU is slated to play Chaminade in a first-round game on Nov 20.

There had been talk of keeping games at the Lahaina Civic Center as originally planned — the Civic Center itself was not damaged by the fires. However, the building is being used to help coordinate relief efforts. There had also been talk of moving the tourney to Las Vegas.

“While we have to move this year’s tournament off of Maui, we are determined to celebrate and honor the culture and traditions that make this event so special,” Tom Valdiserri, executive vice president of KemperSports LIVE, the operator of the Maui Invitational, said Friday.

“Throughout this process, we’ve seen the spirit of ‘ohana in action. Thank you to governor Josh Green, Hawaii Tourism Authority, and Mayor Richard Bissen as well as the staff at Chaminade University of Honolulu and University of Hawai’i at Manoa for working tirelessly with us to keep this year’s tournament in Hawaii.”

All previously purchased tickets will be honored and located in similar seats at the Stan Sheriff Center. Kansas Jayhawks officials indicated Friday that more information will be available in coming weeks for fans who purchased tickets through KU.

Additional tickets will go on sale in early October at mauiinvitational.com. Fans who have “previously purchased tournament travel packages will be offered comparable travel packages with beach hotels in Honolulu. More details about the on-site experience, including event parking, will be provided in the coming weeks,” the release indicated.

“We are disappointed that we could not make the Lahaina Civic Center available for the Maui Invitational this year, but we are thankful the tournament is staying in Hawaii,” Richard Bissen, mayor of Maui, said Friday. “We appreciate everything the Maui Invitational is doing to help Maui and its residents.”

Hawaii governor Green said: “The Maui Invitational is a great event that celebrates all of Hawaii. We look forward to welcoming players, staff and fans to Oahu and using the tournament and its international TV audience as a way to bring attention to and raise funds for Maui recovery efforts.”

According to hawaiinewsnow.com, the Maui Invitational typically generates at least $16 million for the state in visitor spending.

It is believed the PGA’s Sentry Tournament will be held in Kapalua, Maui in January as previously scheduled.

“Sports-wise, like the golf tournament, I’ve told them to go forward,” Green told hawaiinewsnow.com. “Go forward because those guys tend to give more money than even the NFL or Major League Baseball to society. I want those resources for the people that are suffering. I want to try and bring some of their lives back.”