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In-season Tournaments

Pope has expressed interest in playing in these tournaments. Fields for Maui are set for the next two years except for 2026. Looking to field the 8th team. Maybe Kentucky can be that team. If not, 2027 would be the next chance they can make it to Maui. Teams are scheduled years in advance for these Tournaments. Here is the source from 2008 when Gillispie was still at UK and announced they were playing in the 2010 Maui Invitational.

 
Pope has expressed interest in playing in these tournaments. Fields for Maui are set for the next two years except for 2026. Looking to field the 8th team. Maybe Kentucky can be that team. If not, 2027 would be the next chance they can make it to Maui. Teams are scheduled years in advance for these Tournaments. Here is the source from 2008 when Gillispie was still at UK and announced they were playing in the 2010 Maui Invitational.

What was that weird tournament Gillespie put us in where we were playing in a hotel conference room...it was like in Cals first year
 
Has Pope mentioned playing in any of the popular in-season tournaments in the future? Maui has been great to watch so far, would love to see UK participate in these again.
Yes, he all but said we're going back to Maui or some other tourney. Maui is booked until 2026 I think though unless someone withdraws. Thanks Cal.
 
It was the Cancun Challenge Championship at the Moon Palace Ballroom. I remember them beating Cleveland State and Stanford in OT the next day.
That was a surreal tourney. I think every team hated it due to the bad lighting. I don't think it was held again after that too. I mean, you could open the side doors of the ballroom and be basically on the court. Just.....odd. Truly fitting of the BCG era.
 
It’s a complete joke that it’s been so long since we’ve been in an MTE. Even if not Maui, I’m sure we can find another one to participate in. Battle 4 Atlantis and the Players Era Festival have good fields. At minimum we need a marquee game during feast weak. We are the only major program playing the likes of Western Ky and Georgia St this weak.
 
It’s a complete joke that it’s been so long since we’ve been in an MTE. Even if not Maui, I’m sure we can find another one to participate in. Battle 4 Atlantis and the Players Era Festival have good fields. At minimum we need a marquee game during feast weak. We are the only major program playing the likes of Western Ky and Georgia St this weak.
And we will again.

Schedules are set months in adavnce. Like before Cal was gone. Pope had less than 4 months to get a team together much less anything else.

For the most informed fan base in CBB we bitch way too much about scheduling and don't have a clue how it works.
 
Arkansas is committed to 2027 Maui per news reports. Would they take 2 teams from the same conference? Of course Cal could back out.


If not Maui hopefully 1 of the others.
This year's field has Colorado and Iowa State, though I imagine that happened because Colorado joined the Big 12 this year. Same with BYU/Arizona playing in 2026. Appears that is not the norm looking at previous fields.
 
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