1920 – The College of Hawaii becomes the University of Hawaiʻi and the football team plays its first intercollegiate game againstNevada, losing 14–0 on Christmas Day.
1922 – Hawaiʻi defeats its first collegiate opponent, beatingPomona 25–6 on Christmas Day.
1923 – A rainbow appears overMoiliili Field after Hawaiʻi upsetsOregon State, 7–0. Local reporters begin calling UH athletic teams the "Rainbows."
1924–25 – The Rainbows, under the guidance of coachOtto Klum, complete back-to-back undefeated seasons. The Rainbows outscore their opponents 606–29 in 18 games. Among the schools defeated during this time areColorado,Colorado State andWashington State. These Rainbow teams become known as the "Wonder Teams" due to their outstanding play.
1926 – The Rainbows play their first game at their newly constructed home field,Honolulu Stadium. The Rainbows fall to the Town Team by a score of 14–7 in front of 12,000 fans onArmistice Day.
1935 – Rainbow running back and future coachTom Kaulukukui becomes Hawaiʻi's first All-American player.[3] Kaulukukui starred on Hawaiʻi's 1934 undefeated team and set a school record in 1935 with a 103-yard kick return touchdown during a 19–6 loss toUCLA in Los Angeles. Kaulukukui's number 32 is later retired by the University and remained the only number to be retired in Hawaiʻi in football history untilColt Brennan's No. 15 was retired in 2021.
1942 – Following theAttack on Pearl Harbor and the United States' entry into World War II, Hawaiʻi cancels the 1942, 1943, 1944, and 1945 football seasons.
1946 – Hawaiʻi resumes football play after a four-year hiatus as a member of theNCAA. Hawaiʻi enters as aCollege Division Independent. The Rainbows continue to play local teams on occasion but the bulk of their schedules are made up of collegiate teams.
1955 – A year after suffering a 50–0 blowout loss toNebraska in Honolulu, the Rainbows go up to Lincoln the following season and upset the Huskers 6–0. The win is considered one of the school's all-time biggest upsets.
1961 – The UH Board of Athletic Control votes to abolish the football program due to a lack of finances. The program would return to intercollegiate competition the following year behind the urgings of new athletics directorYoung Suk Ko.
1965 –Larry Price performed in his thirdHula Bowl as a College All-Star after a stint in the U.S. Army where he performed twice for the Hawai'i All-Stars. Legendary coach Clark Shaughnessy takes over for one season but the Rainbows flounder through a 1–8–1 season.
1966 – Phil Sarboe, after 15 seasons as head coach at Humboldt State, guides the team to a 4–6 record playing its first all-collegiate schedule. He resigns for "personal reasons" after the season.
1967 – Don King, an assistant under Sarboe, becomes head coach and the much-improved Rainbows post a 6–4 record. Significantly, large crowds (18,000 to 20,000) flock to Honolulu Stadium to watch the Rainbows for the first time in many years, setting the stage for a major gridiron revival in future years.
1968 – Head coachDave Holmes begins what would be the most successful coaching tenure at Hawaiʻi. From 1968–1974, UH won 67 percent of its games and never suffered a losing season. Holmes still ranks as the all-time leader at Hawaiʻi in winning percentage (.718). Drafted by theDallas Cowboys in the 16th round,Larry Cole becomes the first UH Warrior to be drafted by an NFL team. Cole was a one-year transfer from theUnited States Air Force Academy and later graduated from theUniversity of Houston.
1972 – Larry Cole becomes the first former Warrior to start for a world champion football team with theDallas Cowboys inSuper Bowl VI.
1973 – The Rainbows record what is widely considered to be the biggest upset in school history, defeatingWashington 10–7 in front of 52,500 inSeattle. The Huskies were favored to beat Hawaiʻi by as many as 50 points.
1974 – Hawaiʻi becomes anNCAA Division I member. The team's new nickname becomes the "Bow's." They play their final year atHonolulu Stadium. Larry Price becomes Hawaiʻi's first Division I head football coach.
1975 – 50,000-seatAloha Stadium becomes the new home of Hawaiʻi football. Hawaiʻi loses its first game in the new stadium, falling toTexas A&I by a score of 43–9 in front of a crowd of 32,247.
1976 – TheNCAA reclassifies its divisions and drops Hawaiʻi to Division I-AA (now FCS). Athletic DirectorRay Nagel appeals the decision and the next month the NCAA reinstitutes Hawaiʻi to Division I-A (now FBS) status.
1989 – Hawaiʻi plays in the program's first major bowl game — the Jeep EagleAloha Bowl. Hawaiʻi falls toMichigan State, 33–13, before a sellout crowd at Aloha Stadium.
1990 – The Rainbows routBYU, 59–28, on December 1. Earlier that day, BYU quarterbackTy Detmer won theHeisman Trophy.
1992 – Hawaiʻi wins a share of its first-ever WAC championship which qualifies it for theThrifty Car Rental Holiday Bowl. In the game, the Rainbow Warriors earn their first bowl victory, a 27–17 defeat ofIllinois. Hawaiʻi would finish the season ranked 20th in the nation and post a team-record 11 victories.The 1992 Rainbows had 10 regular season victories and two future NFL veterans: defensive endMaa Tanuvasa, who played seven seasons; and place kickerJason Elam, who played 17 seasons and was selected to threePro Bowls.[4]
1996 –Rich Ellerson extendscoaching tree for former UH Warriors by being named as Head Football Coach forSouthern Utah. In his single season, Ellerson accrued a 4–7 record.
1998 – Hawaiʻi suffers through the program's first-ever winless season, going 0–12 under head coachFred von Appen. Von Appen coached the Rainbow Warriors. to a 5–31 record in his three years at Hawaiʻi. He would be fired after the season.
1999 –June Jones becomes the new head coach at Hawaiʻi and guides the Rainbow Warriors to the best single-season turnaround in NCAA history, winning nine games and a share of the WAC championship. Hawaiʻi would go on to defeatOregon State in the JeepOʻahu Bowl, 23–17.
2001 – Hawaiʻi changes its nickname from "Rainbow Warriors" to simply "Warriors." Wide receiverAshley Lelie becomes the highestdraft pick in program history as theDenver Broncos select him with the 19th pick in the first round of the2002 NFL draft.Rich Ellerson extendscoaching tree for former UH Warriors by being named as head coach forCal Poly. During his eight-year tenure, Ellerson led Cal Poly to a 52–38 record.
2002 – Hawaiʻi is invited to play in the inaugural ConAgra FoodsHawaiʻi Bowl. The Warriors would fall toTulane, 36–28.
2003 – Hawaiʻi returns to the Hawaiʻi Bowl and defeatsHouston in a wild 54–48 triple-overtime game. Most notable win of the season came against Alabama in Honolulu by the score of 37–29.
2004 – Hawaiʻi returns for a third-straight season to the Hawaii Bowl and triumphs overUAB, 59–40. Hawaiʻi quarterbackTimmy Chang would also become the NCAA's all-time leader in passing yards with 17,072 over the course of his career, eclipsing the old mark (15,031) set by former BYU quarterbackTy Detmer.
Game between Boise State and Hawaiʻi in 2007. Hawaiʻi won 39–27.
2005 – Hawaiʻi finishes 5–7 and misses out on playing in a bowl game for the first time since2001, despite a breakout year for quarterbackColt Brennan.
2006 – Quarterback Colt Brennan sets NCAA single-season records for touchdown passes (58) and passer efficiency rating (185.78), on his way to a sixth-place finish in the Heisman Trophy voting. The Warriors return to theHawaiʻi Bowl and defeatArizona State, 41–24. Hawaiʻi head coach June Jones passesDick Tomey to become the winningest head coach in school history.
2007 – Brennan adds to his collection of NCAA records, breaking Detmer's career records for TD passes and total TDs passing, rushing and receiving. He and wide receiverDavone Bess also tied an NCAA record for most career TDs by a quarterback-receiver combination. The Warriors are unbeaten, with a breakthrough win againstBoise State, giving the Warriors their first win ever over theBroncos as a WAC member and their first outright WAC title ever. A 35–28 win over Washington in the season finale on December 1 resulted in them finishing No. 12 in the BCS rankings and earning a berth in theSugar Bowl. This is the first regular season Hawaiʻi has ever gone undefeated. Hawaiʻi was also the sole undefeated college football team for the season. Hawaiʻi then playedGeorgia on January 1, 2008 in New Orleans, losing 41–10.Ken Niumatalolo extends coaching tree for former UH Warriors by being named as Head Football Coach forNavy. Quarterback Colt Brennan was selected for the second year in a row as a Heisman Finalist, this time finishing in third place behindTim Tebow and Darren McFadden.
2008 – Head coach June Jones resigns shortly after the 2007 season, ending his nine-year coaching run to become the new head coach atSouthern Methodist University. On January 15,Greg McMackin, formerly the defensive coordinator under June Jones, accepted the position of head coach.Rich Ellerson extends coaching tree for former UH Warriors by being named as head coach forArmy.
2010 – Hawaiʻi wins its 4th WAC Championship by becoming co-champions with Nevada and Boise State. University of Hawaiʻi received and accepted an invitation to join theMountain West Conference for football only andBig West Conference for all other sports. The Warriors bolted fromWestern Athletic Conference to join the Mountain West Conference along with rivals; Boise State, Fresno State and Nevada. Boise State started playing in the MWC starting in 2011, while Hawaiʻi along with Fresno State and Nevada made their MWC debuts in 2012.
2011 – CoachGreg McMackin resigns as head coach citing "being forced out under pressure" from the past season's record.[5]Utah offensive coordinatorNorm Chow was chosen to succeed McMackin.
2013 – Norm Chow and the Rainbow Warriors fall to 1–11, defeating onlyArmy in the last game of the season.
2014 – The season started with promise under new starter Ikaika Woolsey, but during a game versusNorthern Iowa, the frustrated crowd of 20,000 was audibly booing the offense for continually running with limited passing plays. Chow described the 27–24 win as "joyless", but following a tough loss to former WAC foeRice, the 'Bows put together the best performance of the season with a wild 38–28 win overWyoming, capturing thePaniolo Trophy for the first time since 1992. But the team fell apart, culminating in a disheartening 28–21 loss toFresno State following a wild 37–35 victory overUNLV. The loss salted already smashed hopes of a division title, ending the 'Bows season at 4–9.
2015 – The season started out with a big win for the program overColorado but the team slumped to 2–7 andNorm Chow was fired following a program-worst 51-point conference home loss to Air Force, 58–7, with the Falcons retaining the Kuter Trophy.Chris Naeole was named the interim head coach the Sunday following the game. Later, defensive coordinatorTom Mason was reassigned to an administrative role before the season finale. But the Rainbow Warriors fought on, winning their final game of the season and finishing with an overall record of 3–10. On November 27,Nevada offensive coordinator and former UH WarriorNick Rolovich took over as head coach, succeeding Naeole. The 107,145 in attendance for the game againstOhio State atOhio Stadium on September 12 is the second largest crowd to ever attend a University of Hawaii football game.
2016 – The 2016 college football season started with a new head coach on August 27 at theANZ Stadium in Sydney, Australia, for a game between theCal Golden Bears and the Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors, the first international football game for UH.[6] Like those before it, the season started with a 51–31 loss, further heightened by a 63–3 thrashing at the hands of national power Michigan. The 110,222 in attendance for the game againstMichigan atMichigan Stadium on September 3 is the largest crowd to ever attend a University of Hawaii football game. This broke the previous record attendance, which was set in 2015. The team also saw the largest ticket attendance since 2014, 28,687 in a 41–38 loss to UNLV on Homecoming Night.
2017 – The season saw Hawaii win their first two games overUMass andWestern Carolina, but injuries to key players such asJohn Ursua lead to the Warriors losing 9 of their last 10 games of the season.
2018 – Coming off a 3–9 season, head coachNick Rolovich decides to switch from a balancedspread option offense to the pass orientedrun and shoot offense. Led by redshirt sophomore quarterbackCole McDonald, Hawaii starts the season off with a 6–1 record, before proceeding to lose the next 4 games toBYU,Nevada,Fresno State, andUtah State. Hawaii becomes bowl eligible with a 35–28 win overUNLV behind backup quarterback and true freshmanChevan Cordeiro's 3 TD passes on 5 pass attempts. Hawaii loses to former WAC rivalLouisiana Tech in theHawaii Bowl by a score of 31–14.
2019 – Coming off of their most successful season in 8 years, Hawaii entered the season winning a 45–38 thriller againstArizona, stopping Arizona quarterbackKhalil Tate 1 yard short of the end zone as time expired. Hawaii spent the season with alternating quarterback play, withCole McDonald starting 13 games, andChevan Cordeiro starting 2 and replacing McDonald as starter in 10 of McDonald's 13 starts. Hawaii won their final regular season conference game againstSan Diego State 14–11, clinching their first division title in the history of Hawaii's play in theMountain West Conference. Hawaii lost theirMountain West Championship toBoise State 31–10, but won theirbowl game toBYU 38–34 behind Hawaii QB Cole McDonald's 493 yards and 4 TDs. Hawaii finished the season 10–5, their first ten win season since 2010, and just the seventh in program history. Head coachNick Rolovich was named Mountain West Coach of the Year as a result, becoming the first coach to win from Hawaii during their tenure in the Mountain West.
2020 – Coming off a ten win season and a division title, head coachNick Rolovich suddenly departs from the program to take the head coaching position atWashington State University, taking most of his coaching staff and support staff with him. Starting quarterbackCole McDonald also departs from Hawaii, declaring for the NFL Draft. Approximately 1 week later, athletic directorDavid Matlin announces the hire of formerArizona State head coachTodd Graham. Graham retains two assistants,Jacob Yoro andAbe Elimimian from Rolovich's staff, and hiresG. J. Kinne and former Hawaii linebackerVictor Santa Cruz asoffensive coordinator anddefensive coordinator respectively. The Rainbow Warriors win their first game of the season againstrivalFresno State, 34–19, accumulating over 300 yards of rushing and forcing four turnovers; Graham becomes the first UH head coach to win in his debut sinceBob Wagner in 1987.[7] The season was also highlighted by an upset of previously undefeated Nevada, which effectively gave the Rainbow Warriors a bowl berth ahead of San Diego State and Fresno State on a tiebreaker. They capped off the year by winning theNew Mexico Bowl overHouston, 28–14. The bowl victory clinched a third straight winning season and the 100th win in Graham’s career.
2021 – Issues with Aloha Stadium led to that venue halting the scheduling of new events as of December 2020.[8] As a result, the Rainbow Warriors announced plans to play home games on campus at theClarence T. C. Ching Athletics Complex "for at least the next three years".[9] Despite a season that saw the team reach a program-record fourth consecutive bowl game even with a 6–7 record, an upset over Fresno State, and reclaiming the Paniolo Trophy with a 38–14 win over Wyoming in Laramie, Graham resigned after multiple reports surfaced of player mistreatment on January 14, 2022. It was also later discovered the Hawaii Bowl was only canceled because Hawaii players refused to play in the game due to injuries, COVID-19 issues, and competitive disadvantages, done by a players-only vote without Graham's knowledge.
Hawaii players tackle aMichigan ball-carrier during a game in 2022
2022 – Following the resignation of Graham in January 2022, Hawaii signs former quarterbackTimmy Chang to a four-year deal to be head coach.[10]Jacob Yoro andAbe Elimimian were once again retained as part of the staff, but most of the rest of the staff was new, includingIan Shoemaker as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. 19 players from the 2021 team transferred elsewhere in the fallout of Graham's tenure as coach, leaving the 2022 team depleted of depth. With these issues, the team struggled much of the season, recording a 3–10 record and a 2–6 record in conference.
2023 - In Chang's second season, Hawaii finished 5-8 with nonconference games against Vanderbilt, Stanford, Albany, and New Mexico State. San Jose state shutout Hawaii 35-0 in the Dick Tomey Legacy game. Hawaii did not qualify for a bowl.
Bowl games played from 1934 to 1952 were not NCAA-sanctioned. In December 1941, just prior to theattack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaiʻi was scheduled to play in a three-team round robin tournament called theShrine Bowl, which included Hawaiʻi,San Jose State, andWillamette University ofSalem, Oregon. Only one game was actually played, with Hawaiʻi defeating Willamette 20–6.
With the BYU rivalry losing steam after the Cougars left the WAC in 1999, the rivalry withFresno State has increased greatly in recent years, with both teams being the oldest members of the WAC contending regularly for the conference championship. Coaches from both schools have accused each side of various episodes of poor sportsmanship over the years, and both schools have some of the nation's rowdiest home fans. The rivalry has featured some lopsided results, including a 70–14 Fresno victory overHawaiʻi in2004 and a 68–37Warriors victory in2006 overFresno. In2007, allegations thatFresno State fans were physically and verbally abused by hometownHawaiʻi fans circulated the internet and television media added to this rivalry.
It was being reported that several Fresno State fans attempted to warn Boise State fans from attending Hawaiʻi football games due to potential violence against them, however no incidents were reported by Boise State fans and many photographs from Hawaiʻi-based publications covered incidents where Hawaiʻi and Boise State fans were seen mingling together before and after their 2007 game. The rivalry still continues to be one that is anticipated by both sides and continues to the present, with Fresno State having joined theMountain West Conference in 2012, reuniting it with Hawaiʻi and other former WAC members in Nevada and Boise State.
It is Hawaii's most-played rivalry series.[11] The two teams have met 56 times, with Fresno State leading the all-time series 30–25–1 through the 2024 season.[12]
This is one of the oldest rivalries involving Hawaii, along with the Fresno State rivalry. This rivalry is attributed to the late General Laurence S. Kuter, who was stationed on Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam as commander of the Pacific Air Forces. This led to the creation of the Kuter Trophy, a symbol of sportsmanship and school pride, but also the eternal friendship between the Air Force and Hawaii. The Falcons are in possession of the trophy following a 56–26 win in Honolulu in 2019. The two teams have met 22 times, with Air Force leading the series 14–7–1.
The rivalry began in 1978, when Hawaii joined theWestern Athletic Conference, and was played annually until 1997, shortly before Wyoming departed from the WAC and joined the newly formedMountain West Conference. The rivalry was renewed in 2013 when Hawaii joined the MW as a football-only affiliate member. The teams have met 26 times, with Wyoming leading the series 16–11.Wyoming and Hawaii play for the Paniolo Trophy. 'Paniolo' is aHawaiian word meaning “cowboy”,[13] and the trophy featured abronze cowboy on horseback, twirling alariat. The trophy was donated to the two schools by the Wyoming Paniolo Society, a group ofHawaii residents withWyoming roots.[14] Because the two teams could not find the original trophy, a new trophy was modeled after a statue that stands inWaimea on the Big Island at the Parker Ranch Center. Wyoming won that game in Laramie 59–56 in overtime. Before that, the last time the two schools met was in 1997 in the old Western Athletic Conference with Wyoming winning 35–6 in Honolulu. Hawaii holds the Paniolo Trophy as they won the most recent meeting, 38–14 in Laramie, their first since 1991.[when?][citation needed]
The two schools were each led by legendary coach Dick Tomey, who died in 2019. The winner of the rivalry game each year takes possession of the Dick Tomey Legacy Trophy. San Jose State currently holds the trophy after winning the last 4 meetings, the most recent inOahu, Hawaii in 2023.
The two schools first met in 1936. The Rainbow Warriors and Spartans have played each other 46 times as of the 2023 season.
Beginning in 2017, the annual game betweenUNLV andHawai'i,Ninth Island Showdown or,The Battle for the Golden Pineapple gained a rivalry trophy when theCalifornia Hotel and Casino donated the "Golden Pineapple" to the winner of the game.Las Vegas, Nevada has long been a popular destination for Hawaiians for both pleasure and relocation, so much so that it has been dubbed "the Ninth Island", with theCal Hotel in particular aggressively marketing itself to Hawaiian tourists. UNLV is one of Hawaii's two protectedMountain West Conference rivalries when the conference shifts to one division in 2023, meaning they will play every year. The'Bows lead the all-time series between the two schools 19–13 as of 2022.[15]
Hawaii has a historic rivalry with the BYU Cougars. Both were members of the WAC from 1979 to 1998. BYU operates a satellite campus in Laie, Hawaii and there are a large number of LDS church members in the state. As well, both schools have a significant number of Polynesian descent players.In 1990, Hawaii upset #4 ranked BYU and Heisman trophy winner, Ty Detmer, 59–28. In 2001, Hawaii upset undefeated #9 BYU, 72–45. In 2019, Hawaii defeated BYU in the Hawaii Bowl, 38–34.
Dino Babers – Current offensive coordinator atArizona (2024–present). Former head coach atSyracuse (2016–2023)Eastern Illinois (2012–2013) andBowling Green (2014–2015). Former Hawaii running back, defensive back (1979–1983) and graduate assistant (1984).
Rick Blangiardi – former Hawaiʻi linebacker (1965–1966). Former Hawaiʻi assistant coach (1972–1976). Former television executive and current mayor ofHonolulu.
Ivin Jasper – Current offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach atNavy (2008–present). Former Hawaii quarterback (1991–1994).
June Jones – former Hawaiʻi head coach and QB. Current head coach and general manager for theHouston Roughnecks of theXFL. Former head coach for theAtlanta Falcons (1994–1996),San Diego Chargers (1998), andSMU (2008–2014) and former offensive coordinator for theHamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League. Led Hawaiʻi to two WAC championships.
Brian Norwood – Current assistant head coach, passing game coordinator and defensive backs coach atUCLA (2020–present). Former Hawaii defensive back (1984–1987).
Joe Onosai – former Hawaiʻi football player, andWorld's Strongest Man competitor. Current defensive line coach for the Pac-5 Wolfpack, a Hawaii High School team.
Nick Rolovich – Former head coach at Hawaiʻi (2016–2019),Washington State (2020–2021). Former Hawaiʻi quarterback (2000–01) and QB coach/offensive coordinator (2008–11). Played in theAFL (2003–2007). Former offensive coordinator/QB coach for theNevada Wolf Pack (2012–2015).
The NCAA permits Hawaiʻi to play one more than the normal 12 games during the regular season to recoup its unusually high travel costs to and from themainland.[20] The team's opponents who play at Hawaiʻi each season are also allowed one more game than their normal limit.[21][22] This rule was modified before the 2016 season; Hawaii is now open to play before Labor Day Weekend (during FCS Kickoff Week).
The exemption was modified to avoid a 13-game schedule with no bye weeks.
Announced schedules as of October 9, 2025.[23][24]
.jpg)
