The fun for many island sports fans in 2026 starts today when the University of Hawaii basketball teams play UC Riverside, the women at home and the men on the road.
Then, on Friday, the men’s volleyball team — ranked No. 2 in the nation — starts its season. The Warriors made a fairly smooth transition after winning back-to-back national championships early in the decade, and look to have the talent for another strong run.
But many of the other big sports stories to watch for in 2026 are away from the arenas of competition. For example, Friday is also the day when the transfer portal opens for college football.
Some of these issues will impact generations to come in Hawaii — and not just people directly connected to sports.
As displayed as recently as Dec. 14 when the Honolulu Marathon again attracted a record number of visitors from out of state, sports tourism can be of huge benefit to Hawaii’s economy. But the marathon is the exception rather than the rule when it comes to the viability of major sports events in the most isolated population center in the world.
The future of the PGA Tour’s 60–year presence in Hawaii is at stake this year. Also, one preseason college basketball tournament is gone and might not return, and another is getting major competition from a deep-pocketed event in Las Vegas played at the same time in November.
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Revenue from these events has benefited local charities and social service groups throughout the state, while providing entertainment for fans and inspiration for young athletes. Then there is the marketing aspect, as media — professional and social — from these events attract more visitors.
On another front, a stadium is needed for the general public, not just sports teams. It is a place for everything from high school graduations to huge concerts.
The state Legislature will be asked this session to provide millions of taxpayer dollars to pay athletes at the University of Hawaii. There is already pushback on this as priorities are questioned during a weakening economy. Lawmakers might be quicker to support bills to protect high school and youth sports officials, who have been under attack by angry fans.
1. Playing through?
Although its Sentry tournament normally played at Kapalua on Maui at this time each year was canceled, there will be a strong presence of PGA Tour officials on Maui next week.
Meetings are planned with stakeholders and decisionmakers, including the title sponsor regarding the Tour’s future at Kapalua, and by extension, throughout Hawaii.
“We’re going to try to sort out with the Sentry folks what everyone thinks and wants,” said Mark Rolfing, who has worked tirelessly to connect the various parties, including Gov. Josh Green. “We’ve got a couple proposals, one being they play it at Waialae for (2027) and then go from there.”
The Sony Open in Hawaii that starts the week of Jan. 12 could be the final PGA Tour event in the islands. This is the final year of the title sponsor’s current contract, and if there is no tournament the week before here it might not make economic sense for the PGA Tour and sponsors to have any tournaments here.
“Golf has changed more radically than anything other than college sports,” said Rolfing, who is known nationally as a golf broadcaster, but also previously worked for the state in negotiating deals to host various sports events, including the NFL Pro Bowl.
“Mark is the point person,” said Keith Amemiya, who is the governor’s chief advisor on sports-related matters. “He’s the guy with the connections. We speak daily.”
ESPN decided to not hold the annual Diamond Head Classic basketball tournament at UH last month, and its return is iffy at best. The long-running Maui Invitational, which has featured many of the best college basketball programs in the nation during Thanksgiving week, is now in direct competition with the Players Era Festival. which gives each participating school up to $1 million to use toward Name, Image and Likeness payments for players.
Meanwhile, the Hawaii Tourism Authority will continue to work toward expanding sports tourism in the islands.
2. Out With Old, In With New
Tearing down the original Aloha Stadium finally got underway last month — nearly five years after the last sports event was played at the 50,000-seat facility in Halawa.
Now, can enough progress be made in 2026 to keep the old stadium’s dismantlement and the new stadium’s construction timeline on track for it to open in 2029?
Hawaiian Dredging Construction Company — a member of the Aloha Halawa District Partners private coalition working with the state — will be on center stage for this phase. In the meantime other partners will continue to try to attract investers as they design the new stadium and start to develop the rest of the New Aloha Stadium Entertainment District.
The stadium’s new deputy manager, Michael Yadao, has strong ties to the state’s construction industry, and will be a key liaison between the state’s Stadium Authority and AHDP.
3. Braddahs Forever?
In the not so very distant past, college football programs could be built by expanding upon a core of solid, veteran players who experienced growing pains and success together. They were likely to stay at the same school, for the most part.
That kind of long-term buy-in to culture and vision is now less likely because of fundamental changes that come with many unpredictable variables.
That means there is no resting on their lei for Timmy Chang and the rest of the University of Hawaii football team after an excellent 9-4 season.
With the advent of the transfer portal and NIL compensation for players, everyone is a free agent. Recruiting and re-recruiting never ends, and UH does not have as much money to pay players as many other teams do, especially those in the so-called power conferences.
Star players including quarterback Micah Alejado, receiver Pofele Ashlock and linebacker Jamih Otis have committed to remain at least one more year. Others instrumental to UH’s success in 2025, like receiver Jackson Harris, punter Billy Gowers and backup quarterback Luke Weaver, have announced their intention to leave via the transfer portal that opens Friday.
Also, the Warriors’ popular All-American kicker Kansei Matsuzawa is leaving the team. But that is because he graduated and now aspires to play in the NFL.
4. No refs, no game
An alleged assault was caught on surveillance video last month where a father angry about officiating knocked out a high school associate athletic director 200 pounds lighter than him with a punch. The school official was doing her job, escorting the referees to their cars after a tense game to try to prevent a confrontation.
The incident is the most shocking of its kind caught on video in Hawaii, but it is not an isolated occurrence. Violence and threats of such against officials at Hawaii sports events at high school and other levels have escalated. They have caused a shortage of officials willing to work games, especially at certain venues.
On a more positive prep sports note, the first state high school surfing championship meet will be May 1-2 at Hookipa Beach Park on Maui. The Maui Interscholastic League has held sanctioned surfing competitions for the past decade without problems, officiating or otherwise.
5. Climbing the Mountain
The move of most of UH’s teams from the Big West to the Mountain West will mean more expenses and further travel. But it could mean more opportunity for revenue and access to bigger stages in some sports, like basketball. Four Mountain West teams made it to both the men’s and women’s NCAA Tournaments in 2025, compared to just one for Big West. (It should be noted, though, that several of those teams are moving out of the Mountain West.)
The 2025-26 UH men’s basketball team is off to a 10-2 (2-0 Big West) start. Continued success this season could keep new athletic director Matt Elliott from having to make a tough decision regarding the future of head coach Eran Ganot. Many fans also wonder what will happen if Robyn Ah Mow — a legendary star as a UH player and USA Olympian — doesn’t turn around the women’s volleyball team after its historically poor 12-17 record last season.
Bob Coolen, the most successful softball coach in UH history, retired after last season, and Panita Thanatharn was chosen to replace him. The longtime Long Beach State assistant was chosen from a field of candidates that included UH associate head coach Deirdre Wisneski, a former star player at UH from Kauai who was on the Rainbow Wahine staff since her playing days ended 30 years ago.
Women’s basketball coach Laura Beeman will try to exit the Big West with a fifth championship in a row after an 0-2 start in conference play and 6-6 record overall before the start of the new year.
Baseball coach Rich Hill’s pitchers will have one more season to enjoy the mostly lower elevation road games of the Big West before joining the Mountain West next year.
Charlie Wade’s men’s volleyball squad is one of the few teams that stays put in the Big West.
