Dear UH Athletics 'Ohana,
Amid the bustle of the holiday season, I wanted to take a moment to wish everyone a
Merry Christmas and
Happy New Year and thank UH fans everywhere for your continued support of the Rainbow Warriors and Rainbow Wahine in 2025!
These last six months have flown by and words can't express the depth of appreciation for everyone who stepped up in support of UH Athletics. The outpouring of aloha for our programs has been overwhelming and we value every contribution as we work to provide our student-athletes with the resources to represent our university and our state at a high level.
Over the weekend, we celebrated with 45 current and former UH student-athletes who participated in the
2025 Mid-Year Commencement Ceremony at Bankoh Arena at Stan Sheriff Center. The ceremony marks the culmination of years of work invested in achieving the ultimate goal of the college experience and we all join in offering congratulations to our graduates.
The joy of this season's holidays is heightened by the anticipation of the Rainbow Warrior football team's return to the
Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl on Christmas Eve. The matchup with Cal on the national TV stage wraps up an already magical season at the Clarence T.C. Ching Complex highlighted by dramatic victories and electrifying individual performances.
Starting with Kansei Matsuzawa's walk-off field goal against Stanford and stretching through the Senior Night win over Wyoming, the Warriors provided enduring memories throughout the fall. The program continued its ascent under Timmy Chang's leadership, and he was fittingly recognized as the
American Football Coaches Association's Region 5 Coach of the Year. Kansei-mania swept the nation as
"The Tokyo Toe" put together a record-breaking run in the most decorated single-season performance in program history as UH's first consensus All-American and a Lou Groza Award finalist. Our future is bright with Micah Alejado,
Mountain West Freshman of the Year, leading a core of returning players into 2026.
Our fans contributed to the atmosphere by packing the Ching Complex in three sellouts and Rainbow Wahine volleyball again ranked in the top three in the nation in attendance this season. Your generosity toward UH Athletics was also evident in our annual Giving Week drive and Hawai'i's Team Telethon, which combined to raise more than $1.34 million for the department. You can still contribute to the
Our Team, Hawai'i's Team Fund and
Boost the 'Bows Fund to help us recruit and retain elite student-athletes and enhance the experience for all who choose to wear a UH uniform.
The holiday season also brought us glad tidings on the progress of the New Aloha Stadium Entertainment District with the announcement that the dismantling of the existing stadium has officially begun, marking the most tangible step to date in the state's process of constructing the future home of University of Hawai'i football.
As we close out 2025, a
10-2 start for the men's basketball team is among the reasons for cheer heading into 2026. Coach Laura Beeman's charges continue to develop as the
Rainbow Wahine basketball team gears up for conference play. The new year also brings the start of the
men's volleyball season with Charlie Wade building yet another national title contender. We also recently announced a
contract extension for baseball head coach Rich Hill and eagerly await another exciting spring at Les Murakami Stadium. We're looking forward to embarking on a new era across Kalele Road, as Panita Thanatharn enters her inaugural season as head coach of the
Rainbow Wahine softball program.
There's so much to be thankful for and even more to look forward to and through every challenge and triumph, you, our fans, remain at the heart of
Our Team, Hawai'i's Team.
Happy Holidays and Go 'Bows!
Matt Elliott
Director of Athletics
University of Hawai'i at Mānoa
