HONOLULU – The University of Hawai'i has accepted an invitation to play in the 2025 Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl, Christmas Eve, at the Clarence T.C. Ching Complex. The Rainbow Warriors (8-4) will make their 11^th all-time appearance in the bowl game and will face California of the Atlantic Coast Conference.
 
Kick-off is 3:00 p.m., and the game will be televised nationally on ESPN. Tickets are currently on sale both online at etickethawaii.com and at the UH Ticket Office (Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. HST, closed holidays). Prices range from $30-75.
 
Representing the Mountain West, UH (8-4) received a bowl bid for the first time since the 2021 Hawai'i Bowl, a game that was later cancelled due to the pandemic.  
 
This year marks UH's 16^th all-time bowl bid and first under head coach Timmy Chang, who as a Rainbow Warrior quarterback, competed in the Hawai'i Bowl twice and was the game's Most Outstanding Player both times (2003, '04).
 
"There's nothing more fitting than Hawai'i in the SHERATON HAWAI'I BOWL," Chang said. "I've been fortunate to play in the game during my playing career and it truly is one of the best bowl games in the country. It's the only game on Christmas Eve and everyone is watching which will showcase not only our program but our university and the state of Hawai'i. I can't wait for our players to experience the game and the bowl week activities and what better opponent than the Cal Bears."
 
The Golden Bears (7-5) won two of their final three games to become bowl eligible and finish in a tie for seventh place in the ACC. Former UH head coach and Rainbow Warrior quarterback Nick Rolovich is Cal's interim head coach who led the Bears to a 38-35 victory over No. 21 SMU to close out the regular season.
 
Chang and Rolovich were teammates during the 2000 and '01 seasons.
  
UH and Cal will meet for the sixth time with the Bears holding a 3-2 advantage. The teams last met in 2016 in Sydney, Australia, which happened to be Rolovich's debut as head coach of Hawai'i. The Bears won that game, 51-31.
 
Rolovich led Hawai'i to three Hawai'i Bowl appearances during his four-year stint as head coach.
 
Hawai'i is among seven Mountain West teams who are bowl eligible this season.