Seven teams — including the University of Hawai'i — are in, but one is out for the inaugural Diamond Head Classic.

Seven of the eight teams for the 2009 field were announced yesterday by ESPN Regional Television, Inc.

College of Charleston, Saint Mary's, SMU, UNLV, USC and Western Michigan will join Hawai'i in the tournament. The Diamond Head Classic is scheduled for Dec. 22, 23 and 25. Ten of the 12 games will be televised on ESPN stations.

"I think for an inaugural tournament, it's a really good field," Hawai'i head coach Bob Nash said. "The thing is, this field will get better and better as the years go on. I think once ESPN has more time to secure big-name teams, this will become one of the more attractive tournaments in the country."

Georgia had been offered a spot in the inaugural field, but a school spokesman said the Bulldogs will decline the invitation this year.

He said they are "locked into a tough schedule" for 2009-10, including nonconference games against Missouri, Illinois and a yet-to-be- named opponent in the SEC/Big East Challenge.

Georgia recently hired Mark Fox as its new head coach. Fox made annual trips for Western Athletic Conference games at Hawai'i when he was the head coach at Nevada from 2004-09.

In any case, USC, UNLV and Saint Mary's are considered the marquee teams for the inaugural field.

USC finished 22-13 this past season and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. All five starters are eligible to return, although forward DeMar DeRozan will likely become a lottery pick in next month's NBA Draft.

Saint Mary's finished 28-7 last season, but star point guard Patrick Mills may also leave early for the NBA Draft.

UNLV finished 21-11 last season and returns several key players.

The pairings for the tournament will not be announced until the eighth spot is filled.

The Diamond Head Classic is replacing the Rainbow Classic as the marquee tournament on the UH men's basketball schedule.

The Rainbow Classic, formerly played during Christmas week, will now be a four-team tournament played in November.