The University of Washington men's basketball team announced that it will be playing in the Maui Invitational in November of 2026. The tournament, which began in 1984, is one of the longstanding - and best - events on the college hoops calendar.

The Huskies will be joined in the field by Arizona, BYU, Clemson, Colorado State, Ole Miss, Providence and VCU, as noted in the press release.

Washington has played in the tournament once before, in 2010. 

The full schedule for the event is not out yet, and given that we are looking two seasons in the future, there's a lot that can change about the programs involved, but here's a look at some of big name teams the Huskies will be linked with.

The Huskies are coming off a tough introduction to the Big 10 Conference in 2024-25, as they went just 4-16 in league play. Furthermore, they were 13-18 overall. They ended the season on a six-game losing streak and were eliminated by Oregon in the Big 10 Tournament.

A longtime Pac-10 and Pac-12 rival, the Wildcats are now a member of the Big 12. They went 24-13 a season ago, advancing to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament, where they were upended by No. 1 Duke by a score of 100-93.

Also in the Big 12 now, the Cougars are coming off a 26-10 season and a 14-6 league record. They also lost in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament, falling to Alabama.

The only SEC team in the field, the Rebels went 24-12 last season and also advanced to the Sweet 16, where they were beaten by Tom Izzo and Michigan State.

For potential scheduling purposes, the 2025 tournament begins on Nov. 24, meaning that a trip to Maui could be a nice way to celebrate the Thanksgiving Holiday, which is Nov. 26. Seton Hall, NC State, Southern California, Boise State, Chaminade, Arizona State, Washington State and Texas make the full field.