The University of Hawaiʻi is officially a full member of the Mountain West Conference, effective July 1, 2026.

Hawaiʻi joins new full members UC Davis and UTEP, along with returning members Air Force, Grand Canyon, Nevada, UNLV, New Mexico, San José State, and Wyoming, to form a 10-team conference for the 2026–27 season. In addition, North Dakota State and Northern Illinois will compete as football-only affiliates.

From July 2012 to June 2026, UH competed in the Mountain West in football only, while participating in the Big West Conference for most of its other men's and women's sports.

UH will compete in 15 conference-sponsored sports in the Mountain West. Women's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, swimming & diving, tennis, indoor and outdoor track & field, and volleyball. Men's sports include baseball, basketball, football, golf, swimming & diving, and tennis.

Because the Mountain West does not sponsor beach volleyball, men's volleyball, or women's water polo, UH will continue to compete in the Big West as an affiliate member in those sports. Meanwhile, the co-ed and women's sailing teams will maintain their affiliation with the Pacific Coast Collegiate Sailing Conference.

UH Mānoa is the only Division I athletics program in the state of Hawaiʻi, featuring approximately 500 student-athletes across 21 teams. The school became an NCAA member in 1946 and joined its first major intercollegiate conference in 1979. Over its history, UH has captured seven team national championships and 11 individual national titles.