University of Hawaii athletic director Ben Jay told the Star-Advertiser on Tuesday he is "leaning strongly" toward naming all UH men’s intercollegiate sports teams Warriors and all women’s teams Rainbow Wahine.
Jay said an official statement on the contentious issue of the UH team nicknames is being drafted and will be released "within the next few days."
"After input from our coaches, fans, student-athletes and lots of emails and phone messages, we’re working on a communication plan for that," Jay said. "I’ve been asking since I was hired here (last December) who we are and what is most representative of the islands. Those three words, Warriors, Rainbow and Wahine, are representative of who we are."
Jay said narrowing down the names is important for marketing and branding reasons.
The biggest area of inconsistency has been among men’s sports, which have been named Rainbows, Warriors or Rainbow Warriors. The volleyball team was even known as the Men of War for a while.
Last week Jay surveyed the department’s head coaches and predictably got a mix of opinions. There was a consensus, however, that the teams share one name.
"Our coaches are on board with getting consistency," Jay said.
Football coach Norm Chow said he has no preference, "but it should be the same."
Some want the name Warriors for all teams, including the women. But there is more sentiment for Wahine.
"It’s Hawaiian, I like that part of it," women’s volleyball coach Dave Shoji said.
"‘Wahine’ is unique to us," Jay said. "Lady Warriors is not us."
The squad most affected by going to just Warriors is the baseball team, which has continued to use the name Rainbows while others have gravitated to Rainbow Warriors and Warriors.
"I agree with Ben that we need uniformity for branding purposes, not just for our fan base, but for the mainland, too," baseball coach Mike Trapasso said. "When we go on the road, 80 percent of the time we get introduced as the Hawaii Warriors."
Jay said he is not trying to eliminate Rainbows from the lexicon of UH men’s sports, and that the rainbow being a symbol of gay pride is "not a concern."
"People from different generations will call us different things," Jay said. "That’s fine, that’s reflective of our history. I even do it myself; I say, ‘Go ‘Bows.’ We’re not looking to change that. The goal is consistency in our message."
Jay is also concerned with uniform and apparel issues, and said he plans to address consistency in that area.
"Our colors are green and white," he said.
Former football coach June Jones was instrumental in adding black and silver to uniforms, as well as changing the football team’s name from Rainbow Warriors to Warriors in 2000. Other men’s teams were allowed to choose from among Rainbows, Warriors and Rainbow Warriors. Women’s teams could choose between Rainbow Wahine and Wahine.
That was also when the "H" logo was unveiled, replacing a rainbow logo.
"People on the mainland know the ‘H.’ It identifies us," women’s basketball coach Laura Beeman said. "I’m going to be Switzerland (neutral) and a team player on the issue of team name, but we have to be consistent and have an identifiable brand. It affects your recruiting."
UH’s football team was known as the Fighting Deans from the program’s inception in 1909. A rainbow appeared after a victory in 1923, and reporters began calling the team the Rainbows. The name spread to other sports.
"There’s a lot of great tradition, and there are some ways we can keep ‘Rainbow,’" Trapasso said. "But at the end of the day, all I care about being called is winners."
