MAUI, Hawaii, Aug. 26, 2025 – The Southwest Maui Invitational announced today the eight teams set to compete in its highly-anticipated 2026 Tournament to be played at the historic Lahaina Civic Center Nov. 23-25, 2026. The announcement of the 2026 field represents another stellar roster of some of college basketball's premier programs, further solidifying the Southwest Maui Invitational as the nation's preeminent in-season college basketball tournament.

Together, the 2026 field owns 168 NCAA Tournament appearances, eight Final Fours and one national championship between them. Six of the eight teams appeared in the 2025 NCAA Tournament, three of which – Arizona, BYU and Ole Miss – made a run to the Sweet 16.

The 2026 Maui Invitational field:   

• Arizona Wildcats – Led by Head Coach Tommy Lloyd, the Wildcats remain one of the most prolific college basketball programs in the country, having made 39 all-time appearances in the NCAA Tournament. In four seasons under Lloyd, Arizona has compiled a 112-33 record while making three Sweet 16 appearances. A familiar face in Maui, 2026 will mark Arizona's ninth appearance in the Southwest Maui Invitational, which ties North Carolina for the most program appearances outside of Tournament host Chaminade. The Wildcats boast an overall record of 17-8 in the Southwest Maui Invitational, giving them the fourth most wins in Tournament history, and have returned to Tucson with the Wayne Duke Championship Trophy three times (2000, 2014, 2022), which includes their last Tournament appearance under Coach Lloyd.  
   
• BYU Cougars – The BYU Cougars will make their fifth trip to the Southwest Maui Invitational in 2026 where they have posted a 7-6 all-time record. Kevin Young, who will be making his Southwest Maui Invitational coaching debut, is entering his second season as BYU's Head Coach after leading the Cougars to a 26-10 record, the most wins by a first-year head coach in BYU program history, and a Sweet 16 appearance in his first season at the helm. 
   
• Clemson Tigers - The Clemson Tigers will return to the Lahaina Civic Center in 2026 for the first time since 1998, where they went 2-1 in their sole appearance in the Southwest Maui Invitational. The Tigers are led by Head Coach Brad Brownell, who has compiled a 292-196 record in his 15 seasons at Clemson, including five trips to the NCAA Tournament. The Tigers have made back-to-back trips to the NCAA Tournament, including a trip to the Elite Eight in 2024. 
   
• Colorado State Rams – The Colorado State Rams will make their Southwest Maui Invitational debut in 2026. The Rams join a star-studded field fresh off back-to-back trips to the NCAA tournament in 2024 and 2025. Led by first-year Head Coach Ali Farokhmanesh, the Rams are a program on the rise, having won 25-plus games in three of the past four seasons. 
   
• Ole Miss Rebels – The Ole Miss Rebels are another team making their first-ever appearance in the So uthwest Maui Invitational in 2026. In two seasons under Head Coach Chris Beard, who will also be making his Maui coaching debut, the Rebels have gone 44-24, including clinching just the second Sweet 16 appearance in school history in the 2025 NCAA Tournament.  
   
• Providence Friars – The Providence Friars join the 2026 Southwest Maui Invitational having made three previous trips to Maui (1984, 1991, 2020), where they have gone 4-4, highlighted by winning the inaugural 1984 tournament. The Friars are led by Head Coach Kim English, who has led Providence to a 33-34 record in his two years at the helm.  
   
• VCU Rams – The VCU Rams return to the Southwest Maui Invitational for the third time (1986, 2017) where they have a 3-4 record. The Rams finished the 2024-2025 season with a stellar 28-7 record, capturing both the regular season and conference tournament title in route to earning an 11 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Rams are led by first-year Head Coach Phil Martelli, Jr., who compiled a 43-25 record in his two seasons at Bryant and took the Bulldogs to just their second NCAA Tournament in 2025. 
   
• Washington Huskies – 2026 marks Washington's second Southwest Maui Invitational appearance and first since 2010. The Huskies join the 2026 Southwest Maui Invitational field with an exciting, revamped roster that features four-star freshman point guard - and Hilo, Hawaii-native - J.J. Mandaquit. Second-year Head Coach Danny Sprinkle leads the Huskies in their second year in the highly competitive Big Ten Conference. In his six years as a head coach, Sprinkle has amassed a 122-68 record and gone to three NCAA Tournaments (2022, 2023, 2024).  

Teams that have participated in the Southwest Maui Invitational throughout the event's rich history own 74 of the 85 NCAA National Championships, and seven of those schools have gone on to win the national championship after winning the Southwest Maui Invitational earlier that year.

"We are excited to announce our 2026 field of top-ranked teams participating in the 43^rd edition of the Southwest Maui Invitational," said KemperSports LIVE Executive Vice President and Managing Director Tom Valdiserri. "The 2026 field continues our tradition of having the nation's best schools, players and coaches competing at the historic Lahaina Civic Center in Maui."   
The announcement sets the Southwest Maui Invitational field through 2026 with a stellar lineup of teams participating in Maui in 2025 that includes Arizona State, Boise State, North Carolina State, Seton Hall, Texas, USC, Washington State and Tournament host Chaminade.

For details on tickets and information regarding this year's Tournament, visit mauiinivitational.com or follow along on the Southwest Maui Invitational social channels (X, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube).

About the Maui Invitational 
In December 1982, then No. 1 ranked Virginia, led by National College Player of the Year Ralph Sampson, played little-known NAIA Chaminade University in Honolulu while on the way back from a trip to Tokyo. The Silverswords stunned Virginia 77-72 in one of the greatest upsets in college basketball history. Two years later, in 1984, Chaminade University hosted the first Southwest Maui Invitational proven to be the premier early-season college basketball tournament for more than 40 years running. Each year, the Southwest Maui Invitational attracts the top programs, best-known coaches, and most outstanding players to compete in an exciting atmosphere at the Lahaina Civic Center near the beautiful beaches of Maui.

About KemperSports LIVE 
KemperSports LIVE, the sports marketing and events division of Chicago-based KemperSports, produces and manages major national sporting events, including the Southwest Maui Invitational, Battle 4 Atlantis, McDonald's All-American Games, Golf Digest Open, and Sprite® Jam Fest. KemperSports LIVE has proudly operated the Southwest Maui Invitational since 1990. For more information, visit www.kempersportslive.com.

Media Contact: 
B.R. Koehnemann, KemperSports LIVE 
847.421.4537 | brkoehnemann@kempersports.com