College Sports Established
1909
Location
Honolulu, Hawaii
College Name
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Collegiate History
1973 - Present / NCAA Division 1
1921 - 1973 / University Division of the NCAA
1909 - 1921 / Athletic Association of the United States
Conference History
2012 - Present / Mountain West Conference
1979 – 2012 / Western Athletic Conference
1909 – 1979 / Independent
Nickname
Warriors - As sports fans, we often take the origins of our favorite team's nickname for granted. For example, many may not know the Hawaii Warriors' name has a fascinating history. The University of Hawaii at Manoa adopted its nickname in 2000 after a student vote to replace its former moniker: "Rainbows."
The new name was inspired by Hawaiian culture and history. In ancient times, warriors were revered as symbols of strength and courage in battle; they represented honor and loyalty to their kingdom or tribe. This same spirit is embodied today with UH athletes who strive for excellence on and off the field while proudly representing their school with every game they play.
In addition to being an homage to Hawaiian culture, this new mascot also speaks volumes about what kind of team UH strives to be each season: resilient fighters who never give up until victory is achieved! With such a powerful symbolism behind them, it’s no wonder why so many fans are proud supporters of the Warriors!
NCAA Championships
Baseball 0
Men's Basketball 0
Women's Basketball 0
Football 0
Soccer 0
- 1973
- 1984
- 1997
- 2007
-
Hawaii men’s basketball team makes its first appearance in the NCAA
In 1973: The Hawaii men’s basketball team makes its first appearance in the NCAA tournament, losing to Weber State in the first round. -
Hawaii football team wins its first Western Athletic Conference championship
In 1984: The Hawaii football team wins its first Western Athletic Conference championship, earning a trip to the Holiday Bowl. -
June Jones is hired as head coach of the Hawaii football team
In 1997: June Jones is hired as head coach of the Hawaii football team, beginning a successful tenure that includes several bowl appearances and the development of the “run-and-shoot” offense. -
Hawaii football team has a historic season
In 2007: The Hawaii football team has a historic season, going undefeated in the regular season and earning a trip to the Sugar Bowl, where they lose to Georgia.
To qualify as the greatest player for this team, the player must have played one season for this team. If not, we will remove the player.
* verifies that player has played for this team as an added player by a fan.
History of the Warriors
Hawaii's football team is perhaps its most successful program, having won multiple conference championships since joining Division I-A (now known as FBS) play in 1974. The team made four appearances in bowl games between 2000 and 2010, culminating with an appearance against Georgia Tech at the 2008 Sugar Bowl, where they lost by just one point! The Warriors also had some success on defense during this period; they ranked among the nation’s top ten defenses three times from 2004-2007, thanks mainly due to their “Speed D” scheme, which featured smaller but faster players who could get off blocks quickly and swarm ball carriers before they got started downfield.
In addition to football success over recent years, Hawaii's men's basketball team has enjoyed some strong seasons under head coach Eran Ganot who took over before the 2015 season after spending several years as an assistant coach there. Since then, the Warriors have gone 79–50 overall, including two trips into postseason tournaments (a CBI championship game appearance & NIT tournament berth). Their best season came during 2018–19 when they finished 24–10 overall & 14–4 within Big West Conference, earning regular season titles & automatic bids into the 2019 NCAA Tournament, where eventual National Champions Virginia Cavaliers, unfortunately, defeated them in the first round.
Finally, Hawaii Baseball boasts an impressive legacy despite not being considered a significant sport university-wide. The team earned 5 College World Series appearances since the 1960s, with the last trip coming back in 2009 under legendary Head Coach Mike Trapasso -who still holds the all-time wins record of 890 victories accumulated throughout his career leading Warrior Program from 1990 thru 2011. Unfortunately, the squad hasn't found much luck lately, having failed to reach post season past 4 consecutive seasons despite fielding solid rosters annually led by current skipper Michael Taylor entering their 6th-year helm 2020 campaign looking finally break the streak and return Hawai`i to prominence and diamond once again and like heyday days former mentor Mike Trapasso roamed dugouts Les Murakami Stadium Honolulu HI
No matter what sport you follow or what your expectations are for any given year—one thing is sure: You can always count on exciting action when it comes to watching the University of Hawai'i compete in NCAA sporting events!
Sports Fan Products
