Maui Invitational Tournament
Current season, competition or edition: 2016 Maui Invitational Tournament
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Logo of the Maui Jim Maui Invitational
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| Sport | College Basketball |
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| Founded | 1984 |
| No. of teams | 12 |
| Country |
 United States |
| Venue(s) | Campus Sites (Opening & Regional Games) Lahaina Civic Center Maui, Hawaii (Championship Round) |
| Most recent champion(s) |
North Carolina |
| Most titles | Duke Blue Devils (5) |
| TV partner(s) | ESPN |
| Sponsor(s) | Maui Jim |
| Official website | mauiinvitational.com |
The Maui Invitational, currently known as the Maui Jim Maui Invitational, is an annual early-season college basketball tournament that takes place Thanksgiving Week in Lahaina, Hawaii, at the Lahaina Civic Center on the island of Maui. It is hosted by Chaminade University of Honolulu, an NCAA Division II school. Seven NCAA Division I men's basketball teams are invited to Maui to complete the field. The Maui Invitational has been played since 1984, is carried by ESPN. Maui Jim became the title sponsor of the tournament in 2015; the previous fourteen tournaments sponsored by EA Sports.
The tournament had its roots in a game that is considered one of the greatest upsets in college history. On December 23, 1982 the top-ranked and undefeated University of Virginia made a scheduled trip to Honolulu for a game. Originally seeking to play the University of Hawaii, Virginia agreed to play Chaminade, who at the time belonged to the NAIA, on the trip instead. In a game that was not televised and only covered by one sportswriter from outside the local media (Michael Wilbon of The Washington Post, who was in Honolulu to cover the University of Maryland's performance in the inaugural Aloha Bowl), Chaminade defeated the Ralph Sampson-led Virginia squad 77-72 in front of 3,300 spectators at the Honolulu International Center. Shortly after the upset, Virginia head coach Terry Holland congratulated Chaminade's athletic director, Mike Vasconcellos, and suggested to him that he consider beginning a Hawaii tournament. Two years later, the Maui Classic was inaugurated with Chaminade reaching the finals and losing to Providence.
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