The Georgia Bulldogs will face Dayton in the opening round of the 2019 Maui Jim Maui Invitational on Monday, Nov. 25. The matchup was announced along with the rest of the bracket for the tournament, which was released on Thursday.
The Bulldogs and Flyers will meet in the tourney’s first game, tipping off at 2:30 p.m. ET (9:30 a.m. HT) on ESPN2. Michigan State vs. Virginia Tech also are on Georgia’s portion of the bracket. The Spartans and Hokies will play Monday’s second game at 5:00 p.m. ET (12:00 HT).
In first-round games in the other half of the bracket Kansas will take on tournament host Chaminade at 9:00 p.m. ET (4:00 p.m. HT), and BYU will meet UCLA at 11:30 p.m. ET (6:30 p.m. HT).
All games of the Maui Jim Maui Invitational at the Lahaina Civic Center will be televised on either ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU, and streamed on ESPN3.
Packages are now on sale to travel to Maui and watch the Bulldogs during Thanksgiving week. The standard travel package (based on double occupancy) is $1520 per person. That includes four nights lodging at the Hyatt Regency Maui, which will be Georgia’s team hotel; tickets to all three of the Bulldogs’ games; and a pair of Maui Jim sunglasses per person, with a custom fitting experience.
Fans can customize travel packages with a number of add-on items, such as participation in the Sun, Surf & Hoops 5K, the Evening with the Coaches Banquet and even reserved parking options for game days.
Fans looking to reserve their package can do so here.
Georgia and Dayton have met only once before, with the Flyers earning a 63-55 win in the opening round of the Dayton Classic on Dec. 21, 1973.
“It’s another great year for the Maui Jim Maui Invitational, with several teams expected to have big seasons ahead of them,” Tournament Chairman David Odom said. “This field features a spread of young and experienced talent – both from the players and the coaches. We’re looking forward to seeing who will take home the Wayne Duke Championship Trophy in the unbeatable atmosphere that is the Lahaina Civic Center this November.”
Georgia head coach Tom Crean is one of three coaches in the Maui field with Final Four appearances, along with Kansas’ Bill Self and Michigan State’s Tom Izzo.
Over the years, the Maui Jim Maui Invitational has proven to be a key ingredient in a team’s success late into the season. Since the Tournament’s inception, 128 teams that have started the season in Maui have gone on to compete in the NCAA Tournament, with 49 teams having advanced to the Sweet 16. In each of the last nine seasons, one or more teams that have competed in Maui have gone on to reach at least the Elite Eight.