Sheraton Hawaiʻi Bowl
The Sheraton Hawaiʻi Bowl was established in 2002 to bring a permanent postseason college-football tradition back to the Islands. After the Aloha Bowl and Oʻahu Bowl ended in 2000, Hawaiʻi no longer had an annual bowl game to welcome visiting teams and celebrate the sport with local fans. The need became even clearer when the University of Hawaiʻi completed a nine-win 2001 season without receiving a bowl invitation. Created by ESPN Events, the bowl was designed to ensure the University of Hawaiʻi would have a postseason opportunity when bowl eligible, while bringing nationally recognized programs to Honolulu and giving the local community an opportunity to experience college football’s bowl season at home.
The inaugural Hawaiʻi Bowl was played on December 25, 2002, with Tulane defeating Hawaiʻi 36–28. Since then, the game has become a holiday tradition that has welcomed programs from around the country, including Notre Dame, Arizona State, BYU, Boise State, Central Florida, Cincinnati, Fresno State, Houston, SMU, and California. The University of Hawaiʻi has appeared in the game 10 times and captured six Hawaiʻi Bowl championship trophies, most recently earning a 35–31 win over California in 2025. Originally played at Aloha Stadium, the game moved to the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex in 2022 following the stadium’s closure.
Televised nationally by ESPN since its beginning, the Sheraton Hawaiʻi Bowl provides a meaningful platform to share the Islands with viewers across the country. The broadcast highlights Hawaiʻi as a destination for sports, travel, culture, and hospitality, while giving visiting student-athletes, coaches, families, alumni, and fans an opportunity to experience the community firsthand. The game also supports the visitor economy and creates opportunities for local businesses, sponsors, hospitality partners, and community organizations to participate in a nationally visible event.
The Sheraton Hawaiʻi Bowl’s impact extends well beyond game day. Through the Hawaiʻi Bowl Foundation, event partners, and community outreach efforts, the bowl has helped direct nearly million to charitable, educational, health, youth-development, and athletic causes since 2002. Thousands of complimentary tickets have also been shared with nonprofit partners, military personnel and their families, and community members, helping make the game accessible to residents throughout Hawaiʻi. More than a nationally televised football game, the Sheraton Hawaiʻi Bowl is a community asset—Made in Hawaiʻi, Played in Hawaiʻi.
This yearʻs game is scheduled to feature teams selected from the Pac-12 and Mountain West conferences.
