Tickets for Maui Invitational Go On Sale Wednesday

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI/MSU Athletics) — Mississippi State fans wanting to go to Hawaii for The EA SPORTS Maui Invitational(R) can purchase tickets beginning at 1 p.m. on Wednesday.

Tickets to the Championship Round of the nation’s premier early-season college basketball tournament can be purchased at mauiinvitational.com (no phone orders) with a maximum of four tickets available for purchase per person, per ticket type.

“I think that the EA SPORTS Maui Invitational is the most prestigious early-season tournament in basketball and every kid grows up wanting to participate in this tournament with all of the exclusive media coverage,” first-year MSU coach Rick Ray said. “As an assistant, I can remember the energy the Purdue fans brought to the arena when we played over there and how the locals got even more involved because of the Purdue fan base that decided to come over and support their team in beautiful Hawaii. I encourage Bulldog fans to join and experience this great opportunity with us.”

Fans that want to stay close to the action can buy the Official Travel Package through Total Sports Travel (1-888-367-8781) or by calling Oahu Travel, the tournament’s official travel agency (1-800-826-3822).

“Last year, more than 5,000 visitors traveled to Maui to attend and participate in the premier early season college basketball tournament, said David Odom, EA SPORTS Maui Invitational Tournament Chairman. “College basketball fans should be sure to get their tickets to this year’s Tournament and root on their favorite teams during another great edition of Sun, Surf and Hoops.

Tickets will also be made available to the Tip-Off Banquet on Sunday, Nov. 18 from 7-9 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa. All participating teams attend the banquet, which is emceed by ESPN’s Bill Raftery and features speeches from the participating coaches and exciting performances by traditional Hawaiian entertainment groups.

The 29th annual EA SPORTS Maui Invitational will launch the college basketball season with another exciting field. The Championship Round includes Island Teams Butler, Illinois, Marquette, Mississippi State, North Carolina, Texas, USC and host Chaminade. Championship Round matchups start Monday, November 19 at the Lahaina Civic Center in Maui and feature some of the nation’s premier programs.

• Game 1 (2:30 p.m. CT, ESPN2): Butler vs. Marquette
• Game 2 (5:00 p.m. CT, ESPN2): Mississippi State vs. North Carolina
• Game 3 (8:30 p.m. CT, ESPNU): Texas vs. Chaminade
• Game 4 (11:00 p.m. CT, ESPN2): USC vs. Illinois

The ESPN networks will combine once again to offer live television coverage of all 12 Championship Round games. For the fourth straight year, every game will be produced in high definition on ESPN HD, ESPN2 HD and ESPNU HD. All games will also be available live on WatchESPN.