Hawaii becomes a full-time member of the Mountain West.
The conference announced Tuesday that Hawaii would join the conference in all Big West sports. The Warriors currently play Mountain West football but are Big West members in every other sport. The move comes as the Mountain West is realigning following the Pac-12 purge. The Pac-12 will add Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State and San Diego State from the Mountain West in 2026.
“This is a momentous day for University of Hawaii athletics,” Hawaii athletics director Craig Angelos said in a statement. “We have had the privilege of being a Mountain West only football member for the past twelve years. Now the majority of our sports will enjoy the same experience of participating in this exceptional conference. By joining the Mountain West, we can renew historic rivalries, create opportunities for greater exposure and provide stability in the ever-evolving world of collegiate athletics.”
Hawaii becomes the eighth full-time member of the Mountain West after UTEP announced earlier this month that it would join the conference in 2026. In addition to football and men’s and women’s basketball, Hawaii will be a member of the MWC in twelve other sports.
According to several media outlets in Hawaii, the Warriors’ move also means that the school no longer has to provide travel subsidies to other MWC football teams. Under the current football-only agreement, Hawaii subsidizes travel expenses for MWC teams playing away games in Honolulu.
Although Hawaii will give the MWC an all-important eighth full-time member in 2026, the conference could continue to add teams. Adding at least one more team would allow each school in the conference to play at least eight conference games against different opponents. As it stands now, teams would only be able to play seven conference games in 2026 without playing an opponent a second time.
