Hawaii to leave Big West, join Mountain West

Field Level Media|published: Tue 15th October, 14:52 2024

Oct 12, 2024; Honolulu, Hawaii, USA; Hawaii Rainbow Warriors quarterback Brayden Schager (13) gets chased down by Boise State Broncos defensive end Max Stege (95) during the fourth quarter of a NCAA college football game at Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex. Mandatory Credit: Marco Garcia-Imagn Images

Hawaii will become a full member of the Mountain West Conference ahead of the 2026-27 academic year, leaving the Big West behind.

Craig Angelos, athletic director at Hawaii, confirmed the move to Spectrum News Hawaii.

Hawaii currently is a football-only member of the Mountain West but will move most of its non-football sports, as well.

Part of the selling point for Hawaii, per the report, is that the Mountain West agreed that the school will not have to pay travel subsidies to opponents. Hawaii currently helps conference schools with travel costs to the island.

Hawaii also won't be required to pay subsidies for sports including baseball, softball, women's volleyball and men's and women's basketball, as it does to the Big West, per the report.

"That's a big win for us to finally get out from underneath paying travel subsidies for our conference competition to come out play us," Angelos said.

The Mountain West will cover the $750,000 exit fee from the Big West, Spectrum News reported.

Angelos said the Big West was willing to consider eliminating the subsidies, but Hawaii decided to give its football program solid footing in the Mountain West, which now can remain as an FBS conference with eight full members, per Spectrum News.

The Big West does not sponsor football.

The move leaves four Hawaii teams -- men's volleyball, women's water polo, beach volleyball, and men's swimming and diving -- without a home. Angelos told the outlet he was hopeful the schools could stay in the Big West as affiliate members, but if not, Hawaii will try to arrange for them to compete in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation.

"We're very hopeful that would be the case," Angelos said of Big West affiliation. "I mean, we love the Big West Conference. This move had nothing to do with the Big West Conference. It was just something we needed to shore up, because we're an FBS football program. We have a great relationship with the Big West. We're hoping that they will want our other four teams to stay in there."

The Mountain West, like other conferences, has been rocked by realignment. Five schools are headed to the revamped Pac-12 in 2026, forcing the MWC to find new members.

In 2026, the Mountain West will consist of Air Force, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico, San Jose State, UNLV, UTEP and Wyoming.

--Field Level Media