EAST LANSING, Mich. — The men’s basketball teams at Michigan State and Tennessee will meet in an exhibition game to raise money for relief efforts in the aftermath of the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century.
Michigan State will host the Volunteers on Oct. 29 at the Breslin Center, and all proceeds from the preseason matchup will be given to the Hawai’i Community Foundation Maui Strong Fund.
Maui’s historic seaside community of Lahaina was devastated by a wildfire, leaving more than 100 dead and an unknown number of people missing. Michigan State has played five times in the Maui Invitational, the annual tournament held early in the season, and is scheduled to return in 2024.
“The Maui Invitational and the city of Lahaina have always held a special place in my heart,” Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said in a release announcing the charity exhibition Wednesday. “The images we’ve all seen and the stories we’ve heard following the wildfires have touched so many of us in the college basketball world and I know that our thoughts and prayers are with all of those who have been affected.”
The status of this season’s Maui Invitational is unclear. The tournament’s website has a message that reads, in part: “Our main concern right now is the safety and well-being of our Maui ‘Ohana and the first responders that we know are doing everything in their power to keep the island safe. We will share more information as it becomes available.”