2014 EA SPORTS Maui Invitational tickets on sale Wednesday

MAUI, HAWAII – The EA SPORTS Maui Invitational® Hosted by Chaminade announced today that tickets will go on sale via the tournament’s website on Wednesday, August 20, at 3 p.m. EDT (9 a.m. HST). The Championship Round, held at the Lahaina Civic Center on Nov. 24, 25 and 26, will feature Arizona, BYU, Kansas State, Missouri, Pittsburgh, Purdue, San Diego State and host Chaminade.

Tickets can be purchased at http://mauiinvitational.com/tickets or by phone at 1 (800) 325-SEAT.

All-Tournament Reserved Tickets are good for entry to all 12 tournament games. All-Day Reserved Tickets are good for entry to all four tournament games on a particular day. Booster tickets will be available for all eight participating teams and are good for entry to all three tournament games in which a particular school will participate.

“The fan experience and the atmosphere at the EA SPORTS Maui Invitational is incredible,” said Terryl Vencl, executive director of the Maui Visitors Bureau. “The combination of great basketball competition at the 2,400 seat Lahaina Civic Center with the beautiful surroundings of the island of Maui, makes this college basketball event a truly one-of-a-kind experience for student-athletes, coaches and fans alike.”

Maui Mystique

The teams in this year’s field have combined for 179 NCAA Tournament appearances and 139 conference championships, and some of the key players to watch include: Arizona’s Brandon Ashley, BYU’s Tyler Haws and Kansas State’s Marcus Foster, just to name of few. Six Championship Round teams have played in Maui previously, while Pittsburgh will make its first appearance in the tournament, although it still has ties to the islands. Panthers’ coach Jamie Dixon was an assistant on two different occasions at the University of Hawaii and sophomore Joshua Ko, who hails from Kailua, Hawaii, led Kalaheo High School to consecutive state championships as a junior and senior.

Ticket Travel Packages

Ticket Travel Packages are available for school boosters, alumni and fans and include game tickets, accommodations at an official host hotel, on-island airport transportation, game day shuttle service, and more. Call a tournament travel representative at 800.826.3822 for more details and to book travel packages.

Televised Games

The bracketed Championship Round will begin on Monday, Nov. 24 at the Lahaina Civic Center. Monday matchups include:

ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU will offer live, high-definition television coverage of all 12 Championship Round contests. Games will also be broadcast live on the WatchESPN app and WatchESPN.com.

Regional Games

The four recently announced Mainland Teams – CSUN, Samford, UALR and Missouri-Kansas City – will participate in the Regional Games at UALR from Nov. 22-23. Prior to the Championship Round and Regional Games, the Island Teams and Mainland Teams will face-off in seven Opening Games at the Island Teams home arenas from Nov. 14-18. Tickets to the Regional Games will be available at the UALR box office and tickets to the Opening Games will be available at each Island Team’s box office.

About the EA SPORTS 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 EA SPORTS Maui Invitational and it has proven to be the premier early-season college basketball tournament for 30 years running. Each year, the EA SPORTS 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 EA SPORTS

EA SPORTS is one of the leading sports entertainment brands in the world, with top-selling videogame franchises, award-winning interactive technology, fan programs and cross-platform digital experiences. EA SPORTS creates connected experiences that ignite the emotion of sports through industry-leading sports videogames, including Madden  NFL football, FIFA, NHL® hockey, NBA LIVE basketball, SSX™, and EA SPORTS UFC. For more information about EA SPORTS, including news, video, blogs, forums and game apps, please visit www.easports.com.

About Tournament Sponsors

Other tournament sponsors include the Maui Visitors Bureau, County of Maui Department of Parks and Recreation, Hawaii Tourism Authority, adidas,GEICO, and Hawaiian Airlines. The Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa, Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa and Westin Maui Resort & Spa, all located in the beautiful Ka’anapali Beach Resort area, serve as host hotels.

About Chaminade University

Chaminade University, the only Catholic university in Hawaii, provides a rich educational experience. Chaminade is a place where people grow: professionally, intellectually and spiritually. The Society of Mary, the Marianists, founded Chaminade University in 1955 (as St. Louis Junior College.) Chaminade University offers its students an education in a collaborative learning environment that prepares them for life, service and successful careers.

About KemperLesnik

KemperLesnik is a sports marketing, events and public relations agency. Ranked by Crain's Chicago Business among Chicago's top PR agencies, KemperLesnik produces integrated communications programs and manages major national events, including the EA SPORTSÔ Maui Invitational®, the CBS SPORTS Classic, the McDonald’s All American Games, the POWERADE Jam Fest and activation for KitchenAid and its PGA of America partnership. KemperLesnik has operated the EA SPORTS Maui Invitational since 1990. For more information, visit www.kemperlesnik.com.