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.
 
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ESPN Events 
ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a portfolio of collegiate sporting events nationwide. In 2022, the 32-event schedule includes three early-season college football kickoff games, 17 college bowl games, 11 college basketball events, and a college softball event, which account for approximately 400 hours of live programming, while reaching nearly 64 million viewers and attracting over 800,000 annual attendees. With satellite offices in more than 10 cities across the country, ESPN Events builds relationships with conferences, schools and local communities, as well as providing unique experiences for teams and fans.
 
For more information, visit the official website, Facebook, Twitter or YouTube pages.

Hawaiian Airlines
Hawaiian® has led all U.S. carriers in on-time performance for each of the past 17 years (2004-2020) as reported by the U.S. Department of Transportation and was named No. 1 U.S. airline by Condé Nast Traveler's 2021 Readers Choice Awards. Consumer surveys by Travel + Leisure and TripAdvisor have placed Hawaiian among the top of all domestic airlines serving Hawaiʻi.
 
Now in its 93rd year of continuous service, Hawaiian is Hawaiʻi's biggest and longest-serving airline. Hawaiian offers approximately 130 flights within the Hawaiian Islands, daily nonstop flights between Hawaiʻi and 16 U.S. gateway cities – more than any other airline – as well as service connecting Honolulu and American Samoa, Japan, South Korea, Sydney, and Tahiti. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Hawaiian's Auckland and Brisbane flights remain suspended.
 
The airline is committed to connecting people with aloha by offering complimentary meals for all guests on transpacific routes and the convenience of no change fees on Main Cabin and Premium Cabin seats. HawaiianMiles members also enjoy flexibility with miles that never expire.
 
Hawaiian Airlines, Inc. is a subsidiary of Hawaiian Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: HA). Additional information is available at HawaiianAirlines.com. Follow Hawaiian's Twitter updates (@HawaiianAir), become a fan on Facebook  (Hawaiian Airlines), and follow us on Instagram (hawaiianairlines). For career postings and updates, follow Hawaiian's LinkedIn page.
 
For media inquiries, please visit Hawaiian Airlines' online newsroom.