UH Mānoa Athletics Director Matt Elliott marks his first year with two national championships, fundraising record

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Athletics Director Matt Elliott closed out his first year on the job June 30, a stretch that included two national and conference championships, a fundraising record and a shift to free statewide broadcasts that will expand access for fans on Maui and across the state.

The University of Hawaiʻi athletics department released a review of the 2025-26 fiscal year highlighting the milestones, which the university said affected nearly 500 student-athletes across its programs.

Rainbow Warrior volleyball won the program’s third NCAA championship in six years, and the men’s basketball team captured its first Big West Tournament title in a decade, earning an NCAA Tournament berth. The football team finished 9-4 and won the Sheraton Hawaiʻi Bowl. UH teams combined for five Big West championships during the year.

The athletic department also reported record fundraising, with preliminary figures showing $13.2 million raised — more than triple the previous year’s total and a new department record, according to UH. The university said the total included more than 7,300 individual gifts, while licensing revenue reached nearly $930,000, also a department record.

This summer, five Hawaiʻi business and community leaders pledged $5 million over five years to support name, image and likeness opportunities for UH student-athletes, money the university said will help it recruit and retain talent as competition for players intensifies nationally.

Broadcast access is expanding as well. UH eliminated pay-per-view for Rainbow Warrior football broadcasts last fall, a change that made games more accessible statewide, including on Maui, while also adding broadcasts in Japan. A new four-year media rights agreement with Hawaiʻi News Now takes effect this season and will bring more than 110 home events annually to K5 as free, over-the-air programming, moving away from the previous subscription-based cable model. Separately, the Mountain West’s new MW+ streaming platform will carry more than 200 UH events worldwide, with revenue from Hawaiʻi subscriptions benefiting UH Athletics directly.

The changes come as UH officially joined the Mountain West Conference as a full member July 1, shifting most Rainbow Warrior and Rainbow Wahine programs into a new athletic conference starting this season.

Elliott also made several leadership changes during the year, hiring Khalilah Mitchell as women’s basketball coach and Joshua Walker as Rainbow Wahine volleyball coach, and adding former women’s basketball coach Laura Beeman to the senior leadership team as associate athletics director for student-athlete success. The university also extended the contracts of football coach Timmy Chang, baseball coach Rich Hill and men’s basketball coach Eran Ganot.

Elliott said in a statement that his priorities going forward include enhancing the student-athlete experience and strengthening community partnerships as the department enters its first season in the Mountain West.

“Our student-athletes inspire us every day with the way they compete, represent our university and serve our community,” Elliott said.