Colorado State University Athletics
Rams, Wildcats to Open Maui Invitational
7/29/2026 9:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
CSU men’s basketball set to compete for the first time in the Maui Invitational
FORT COLLINS, Colo. – Colorado State men's basketball will make its maiden voyage to the Maui Invitational this November and now knows they will tip off the tournament against the Arizona Wildcats on November 23 in the final game of the first round.
Arizona is coming off a 36-3 season under Tommy Lloyd last year, reaching the Final Four before falling to eventual champion Michigan. The Wildcats won both the Big 12 regular-season and tournament championships. This year's team is expected to be in the preseason top 10. This game will mark the 26th time the two programs have played, but the first time since 1978 when both programs were a part of the WAC. Arizona leads the overall series 14-11, but the Rams won the last meeting 95-88 in Fort Collins.
The other first-round matchups for the tournament were announced as well, with BYU facing Washington, Providence matching up with VCU and Clemson taking on Ole Miss.
Colorado State returns the core of its 2025-26 team that won 21 games under first-year coach Ali Farokhmanesh and qualified for the NIT. The Rams return 59.9% of their scoring and 57.7% of their rebounding from last year's team, including six of the top eight scorers led by Kyle Jorgensen (11.5), Carey Booth (10.7) and Josh Pascarelli (10.2).
Fans interested in joining the Rams in Maui can purchase a travel package that includes hotel, tickets to the CSU games, shuttle to and from the arena and a tournament gift. Click here to purchase the package.
Already have your trip to Maui booked and want tickets? Contact the CSU Ticketing Office at 970-491-7267 or ramtix@colostate.edu
Season tickets for the 2026-27 season are available by clicking here or calling the CSU Ticketing Office at 970-491-7267.
