Aug. 5, 2008
2008 EA Sports Maui Invitational Bracket 
Notre Dame, Ind. – The pairings and official bracket for the 2008 EA SPORTS Maui Invitational were announced today and Notre Dame will take on in-state rival Indiana in first-round action of the tournament at 5:30 p.m. (ET) on ESPN2.
This season marks the 25th anniversary of the eight-team event that will be held at the Lahaina Civic Center, Nov. 24-26.
“It is certainly an honor to be playing for us to be playing in the EA Sports Maui Invitational,” head coach Mike Brey said. “This has become clearly one of the first-class tournaments during the college basketball season and I know our players are excited to be playing in it this season and to go up against some of the nation’s top teams.
“We’re looking forward to our matchup against Indiana. Our entire half of the bracket will provide great early-season challenges for our veteran group.”
Notre Dame will be making its second appearance in the tournament. The Irish participated in the event in 1993 and finished with a 1-2 record.
In addition to the Irish, this year’s field battling for the coveted Wayne Duke Championship Trophy will be North Carolina, Texas, Indiana, Oregon, Saint Joseph’s, Alabama and host Chaminade. Six of the seven Division I teams in the field played in the ’08 NCAA Tournament, highlighted by North Carolina advancing to the Final Four in San Antonio and Texas’ run to the Elite Eight.
This will be the 68th meeting between the Irish and Hoosiers with Indiana leading the all-time series 47-20. The last meeting between the two schools occurred on Dec., 8, 2004 with the Irish claiming a 55-45 victory in Bloomington.
Notre Dame will face either Texas or Saint Joseph’s in the second game of the tournament.
ESPN networks will combine once gain to offer live television coverage of all 12 tournament games. In addition, ESPN360.com will provide live simulcasts of the games televised on ESPN and ESPN2.
Remaining game tickets including school specific tickets will go on sale to the general public on Wed., Aug. 13 at 3:00 p.m. (ET) via the tournament web site at www.mauiinvitational.com . Travel packages with game tickets and hotel accommodations are still available through Oahu Travel, the tournament’s official travel agency (800-826-3822). In addition, tickets for the tournament’s Tip-Off Banquet, a special evening with the participating head coaches and teams set for Sun., Nov. 23, and a spot in the fifth annual EA Sports Maui Golf Invitational on Thanksgiving Day, are still available. Visit the web site’s “Tickets & Travel” section for details.
EA Sports, the world’s largest interactive entertainment software company and developer of the top-selling NCAA March Madness videogame, enters its eighth year title sponsor of the Maui Invitational.
Other tournament sponsors include the Maui Visitors Bureau, County of Maui Department of Parks and Recreation, Hawaii Tourism Authority, adidas, GEICO and Gatorade. The Westin Maui Resort & Spa, Sheraton Maui Resort and Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa, all located in the beautiful Ka’anapali Beach resort area, serve as host hotels for the fans and boosters who accompany their teams to Maui. KemperSports has operated the EASports Maui Invitational since 1990.
For up-to-the-minute tournament schedule, ticket and general information, visit the official tournament web site at www.mauiinvitational.com.