The University of Akron is the eighth and final team to join the 2013 Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic field, which also includes Boise State, George Mason, Iowa State, Saint Mary's, Oregon State, South Carolina and host school Hawai'i.  The tournament is set to be played on Sunday, Monday and Wednesday, Dec. 22, 23 & 25, at the Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu, Hawai'i.
 
The Zips closed the 2012-13 season with a 26-7 record and captured their second-consecutive Mid-American Conference regular-season title with a 14-2 record. Among Akron's accomplishments were the nation's longest winning streak (19 games), the program's first national ranking (No. 24 in the Feb. 24 USA Today Coaches' Poll) and a league-best seventh-straight MAC Tournament title game appearance.
 
With Akron's 65-46 win over Ohio on March 16, the Zips advanced to their third NCAA Championship under ninth-year head coach Keith Dambrot, and fourth overall (1986, 2009, '11, '13) in program history.
 
This will be the Zips' first-ever appearance in the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic.
 
“We are very excited to be invited by ESPN to play in one of their tournaments for a second-consecutive season," men's basketball head coach Keith Dambrot said. "The Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic is a great tournament and once again consists of a very strong field. Like the Puerto Rico Tip-Off last season, playing in the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic will allow our fans to travel to a beautiful location and see the Zips play against high-quality competition.”
  
Six of the eight teams in the 2013 field qualified for the postseason this past season, including Akron (NCAA), Boise State (NCAA), Hawai'i (CIT), George Mason (CBI), Iowa State (NCAA) and St. Mary's (NCAA).
 
 
Tournament Information 
The 2013 Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic, an eight-team men's college basketball tournament, will feature 12 games over the three days. Each team will compete in one game per day, advancing through a bracket-tournament format. The two teams that remain undefeated throughout will face off in a championship match.
 
The Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic is owned and operated by ESPN Regional Television (ERT), a subsidiary of ESPN.
 
The University of Southern California won the inaugural tournament in 2009, Butler in 2010, followed by Kansas State in 2011 and Arizona in 2012.
 
Travel information
The family-friendly tournament and resort destination of Honolulu, HI will host the teams to three days of play, practices and the unique spirit of Aloha from the Hawaiian Islands. Teams will also have the opportunity to attend the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl played during the same week. Additional information, including travel packages, can be found on the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic Web site at www.hawaiianairlinesdiamondheadclassic.com.
 
ESPN Regional Television
ESPN Regional Television (ERT), a subsidiary of ESPN, owns and operates collegiate sporting events worldwide, including two Labor Day Kickoff college football games; seven college bowl games and eight college basketball events. These account for approximately 200 hours of programming, reach almost 64 million viewers and attract nearly half a million attendees each year. The owned and operated events build relationships with conferences, schools and local communities, as well as provide unique experiences for teams and fans. In addition to event ownership, ERT manages the Big 12 Corporate Partner Program.
 
Collegiate Football
BBVA Compass Bowl (Birmingham, Ala.); Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl St. Petersburg; Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl (Dallas-Fort Worth); Gildan New Mexico Bowl (Albuquerque); Las Vegas Bowl; MEAC/SWAC Challenge presented by Disney (Orlando, Fla.); Texas Bowl (Houston); Texas Kickoff Classic (Houston); Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl (Honolulu) and The Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards
Collegiate Basketball
Armed Forces Classic (TBD); Charleston Classic (S.C.); Anaheim Classic (Anaheim, Calif.); Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic (Honolulu); Jimmy V Classic presented by Corona Extra (Madison Square Garden); Old Spice Classic (Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Fla.); Puerto Rico Tip-Off (TBD) and State Farm Champions Classic (United Center, Chicago) 
 
For more information, visit espnplus.com.