Most of the University of Hawaii’s non-football sports will participate in the Mountain West, University of Hawaii athletic director Craig Angelos confirmed Monday night.
An announcement is expected Tuesday that Cal State’s basketball, baseball, soccer, softball and women’s volleyball teams will be included in the program to join the Rainbow Warrior football team as members of the Mountain West. Since 2012, the Warriors have been a Mountain West football-only affiliate. Most of UC’s other sports also competed in the Big West during the 2012-2013 academic year.
“I think it’s good for the stability of our program,” Angelos told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser in a phone interview. “Now is a good time for that to happen.”
Angelos said the Mountain West will cover the Big West’s exit costs of $750,000.
It has not been determined whether the men’s volleyball, beach volleyball, water polo and men’s swimming programs will remain in the Big West as associate members. Mountain West does not support those sports. Big West charges an affiliate fee of $25,000 per sport.
As part of the transition to all-sports membership, UH no longer has to pay travel subsidies to visiting teams. The “travel expense share” subsidy in the contract is equivalent to a chartered flight for a visiting soccer team. The amounts range from $150,000 for Pacific time schools to $175,000 for Mountain time teams.
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UH teams relocating from the Big West also won’t have to pay travel subsidies.
The university’s decision to become an all-sport member will help strengthen the conference, which was reeling from withdrawals announced last month. Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State are scheduled to leave the 12-team Mountain West in 2026 and join the rebuilding Pac-12. UTEP will join the Mountain West as the seventh all-sports member in 2026, and league commissioner Gloria Nevarez has begun discussions about the possibility of inviting non-football college teams.
