BOISE, Idaho >> Even before arriving in Boise on Thursday morning, the Hawaii football team earned a significant victory.

The NCAA approved an appeal that allows offensive lineman Michael Eletise to play immediately for the Rainbow Warriors.

“It’s great, it’s wonderful,” said Eletise, who traveled with the Warriors ahead of Saturday’s road game against 14th-ranked Boise State.

Eletise, a 2016 Kaiser High graduate, attended Arizona for three years before announcing in February he was transferring to UH. He joined the Warriors in August.

Eletise petitioned the NCAA for a legislative relief waiver that would enable him to play this season without redshirting. Without a waiver, a football player has to redshirt a season, establishing residency at the new school, when transferring between NCAA Division I programs.

In August, Arizona officials signed a release in support of Eletise’s waiver.

The NCAA denied Eletise’s request, but indicated it was open to hearing an appeal. UH filed an amended appeal on Eletise’s behalf. This time, the NCAA ruled in Eletise’s favor, making him eligible to play on Saturday.

“It’s been a long process for him and his family and us,” coach Nick Rolovich said. “I’m glad, in the end, the NCAA did the right thing. I would have loved for it to happen sooner, but sometimes you can’t control the timing of things.”

Eletise, who had been allowed to practice, expressed relief over the ruling.

“It’s been a long, long process,” he said. “They were kind enough to allow me to play. They make the rules, and I have to respect that, and follow that. I did what I set out to do.”

As a Kaiser senior, Eletise was a consensus 4-star prospect. ESPN rated Eletise as the nation’s ninth-best offensive tackle that year. Eletise played both guard positions at Arizona.

During UH’s practices, Eletise worked out as the top understudy to left guard J.R. Hensley. Eletise also could play right guard. Solo Vaipulu was unavailable to play the past two games.

Eletise, who is 6 feet 4 and 335 pounds, noted it was his participation in practice that served as a carrot during the appeal process.

“That kept me going,” Eletise said. “If I thought about the possibility of actually not playing, it’s not a cool future.”

After this season, Eletise will have another year of eligibility.

“He’s really dissolved into this team very easily,” Rolovich said. “I think he’s well liked. I think he’s having a good time. And, obviously, he gives us even more physicality on the front for us. … He’s a kid who really fits into Hawaii. He’s happy about his day. He’s happy playing football at UH. I think he loves his teammates, and they love him.”

Eletise still has unfinished business. His father promised to take him to dinner next week to celebrate the NCAA’s ruling. Eletise also is working on sleeve tattoos to honor his Samoan and Norwegian heritage. His sister is creating the designs.