Each of the four has significant questions to answer before Christmas week, however. That means the field's lone NIT squad, the San Diego State Aztecs, will have the chance to bring the trophy back to the Mainland.
To catch up on all of the posts in this series visit the 2016-17 Early Season Events hub.
What Is It?
How Long Has This Event Been Around?
From last season's primer...
The first ESPN-run Diamond Head Classic was held in 2009 and won by USC. However, this tournament can be seen as the continuation of the eight-team, bracketed version of the Rainbow Classic, which dates back to 1964.