USF Joins Oregon State in 10th Maui Classic as College Hoops Tips Off

The University of San Francisco (USF) women's basketball team will travel to Upcountry Maui next month to join host Oregon State, Ball State, and Idaho State for the 10th edition of the Maui Classic on Dec. 18–19, 2026 at the Erdman Athletic Center on the Seabury Hall campus in Makawao, according to Marc Suzuki in Hoodline. The holiday tournament announcement arrives as the 2026-27 college basketball season officially tips off Monday, Nov. 2 with the Field of 68 Opening Day matchup between Tennessee State and Murray State, reported by Daniel Kohn in The Press.

2026 Maui Classic Matchups and Oregon State’s 15-3 Record

Founded by Oregon State in 2016 and played annually except in 2020, the Maui Classic has been staged at Seabury Hall's Erdman Athletic Center for the past 3 years. In last season's Dec. 19–20 edition (where daily passes cost $10 for spectators ages 15 and older and were free for children 14 and younger), Oregon State defeated Montana State 53-51 and Liberty 64-57 alongside Hawaii to improve its all-time Maui Classic record to 15-3.

Per tournament organizer Vertical Sports Maui, each of the 4 teams in the 2026 field will play 2 games (all times Hawai'i Standard Time, with at least 27 minutes of guaranteed on-court warmup):

• Friday, Dec. 18: Idaho State vs. Oregon State at 5 p.m., followed by Ball State vs. University of San Francisco at 7:30 p.m.
• Saturday, Dec. 19: University of San Francisco vs. Idaho State at 2:30 p.m., followed by Oregon State vs. Ball State at 5 p.m.

Ball State enters the season after winning back-to-back Mid-American Conference regular-season championships and scheduling 4 non-conference opponents that qualified for the 2026 NCAA Tournament. Beyond the hardwood, all 4 squads visit Maui schools for reading and literacy programs, assemblies, and basketball clinics — outreach that Oregon State head coach Scott Rueck has called the highlight of the trip — while tournament proceeds and a silent auction fund Vertical Sports Maui youth programs.

Nov. 2 College Basketball Opening Day

On the mainland, the 2026-27 college basketball slate opens Monday, Nov. 2 with the Field of 68 Opening Day showcase featuring Tennessee State against Murray State.