2022 Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic Field Revealed

The ESPN Events men’s college basketball tournament will be played Dec. 22, 23 and 25 at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu

The eight-team field for the 2022 Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic will feature George Washington, Hawai’i, Iona, Pepperdine, Seattle, SMU, Utah State and Washington State. The 13^th edition of the ESPN Events men’s college basketball tournament will be played December 22, 23 and 25 at the SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu.

Field Highlights

George Washington of the Atlantic 10 makes its return to the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic after capturing the 2014 tournament with an upset of No. 11 Wichita State.
Tournament host Hawaiʻi (Big West) will finish the 2021-22 campaign with a winning record for the sixth time in seven seasons under head coach Eran Ganot, the second-winningest coach in program history.
Iona is the 2021-22 MAAC regular-season champion and poised for its sixth NCAA appearance in the last seven years, and second straight under Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino.
Pepperdine (West Coast) will make its first-ever appearance in the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic. The Waves are led by coach Lorenzo Romar.
Seattle (Western Athletic) is enjoying a historic 2021-22 season with 23 wins, the most since the Redhawks moved back to Division I 12 years ago.
SMU (American Athletic) is enjoying another stellar season with 22 wins. The Mustangs are vying for a second straight postseason bid after advancing to the NIT in 2021.
Utah State (Mountain West), which advanced to the last two NCAA Tournaments after winning a pair of Mountain West titles, will make its first-ever appearance in the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic.
Washington State (Pac-12) will make its third appearance in the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic, including a runner-up finish in 2010.

Each team will compete in one game per day, advancing through the bracket over three days for a total of 12 games. The two teams that remain undefeated throughout will face off in the championship game on the final day of the tournament.

Previous Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic tournament champions include USC (2009, 2017), Butler (2010), Kansas State (2011), Arizona (2012), Iowa State (2013), George Washington (2014), Oklahoma (2015), San Diego State (2016), TCU (2018), Houston (2019) and Vanderbilt (2021).

Tickets are expected to go on sale in October. Visit the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic web site at hawaiianairlinesdiamondheadclassic.com to sign up for special email offers, and find additional information about the tournament, as well as Hawaiian Airlines and Outrigger Hotels & Resorts travel.