March 24, 2004
Honolulu, HI - Led by the nation's top-ranked Stanford Cardinal, seeded one in the Phoenix regional of the 2004 NCAA Tournament, five of the seven NCAA Division I schools competing in the EA SPORTS Maui Invitational this coming November made the 2004 NCAA Tournament, with the other two Division I schools receiving NIT bids.
2004 NCAA Tournament competitors heading for Maui this fall include third-seed Texas, sixth-seed North Carolina and tenth-seed Louisville, all in the Atlanta regional; and twelfth-seed BYU joining number one seed Stanford in the Phoenix regional. 1987 EA SPORTS Maui Invitational Champion Iowa and first-time Maui participant, Tennessee, will compete in the NIT beginning this week, with tournament host and NCAA Division II Chaminade rounding out the field. 2003 EA SPORTS Maui Invitational Champion Dayton will also be competing in the 2004 NCAA Tournament as a tenth seed in the Phoenix regional.
The 2004 EA SPORTS Maui Invitational takes place November 22-24 at the intimate 2,400-seat Lahaina Civic Center on the island paradise of Maui, less than 1,000 yards from the Pacific Ocean. The remarkable EA SPORTS Maui Invitational has set the tone for the rest of the college basketball season for many years, earning the moniker as "the nation's premier pre-season college basketball tournament." To date, EA SPORTS Maui Invitational teams have made their way to an outstanding post-season mark of 193 of 260 Final Four positions, 50 of 65 national runner-up spots and 49 of 65 NCAA championships.
ESPN will again televise the tournament, with a minimum of nine games televised live. This translates to national television exposure for all eight participating teams, a minimum of two games televised nationally for six teams, and all three games televised nationwide for four of the eight teams in the tournament.
For more information, visit the official 2004 EA SPORTS Maui Invitational tournament web site at www.mauiinvitational.com or call 808-667-DUNK (3865). Oahu Travel, the official tournament travel agent, can be reached at 800-826-3822.
