University of Hawaii football to play home games on campus

The University of Hawaii football team is preparing to play its home games at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletic Complex, school officials announced this morning.

The move is in response to Aloha Stadium officials’ insistence that it can not serve as a host to new events because of safety issues. A new stadium at the Halawa site will not be open until at least 2023.

“The recent announcement regarding the limitations of Aloha Stadium – home of our Rainbow Warrior football team for more than 40 years – has created an opportunity,” UH athletic director David Matlin said in a release. “We are committed to transforming the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex into a viable venue for our football team to play home games for at least the next three years. There is a lot of work and collaboration to be done, including with the City & County and our neighbors, but we are extremely excited about this opportunity and see enormous potential in playing on-campus for the first time in our history. Our goal is to offer a more intimate experience for our fans and a direct path for our student body to engage and create a true college football atmosphere.”

The complex currently can hold up to 3,000 fans. There have been discussions to add bleacher seats that could expand the seating capacity to up to 15,000.

The move has several hurdles. UH still would need to receive the City’s approval to host such widely attended events.

There also is a possibility that repairs to Aloha Stadium could be financed and made before the start of UH’s 2021 season.