The Economic Footprint of UH Mānoa Athletics
According to a study unveiled by Gov. Josh Green and state officials, UH Mānoa athletics contributed nearly $753 million to the state economy over a four-year period.
The report, funded by private donors including retired businessman Larry Rodriguez, sought to quantify an impact that supporters long considered self-evident. Across the four assessed categories, the financial reach of the athletic department became clear through direct spending, employee-driven commerce, departmental revenue, and capital construction projects.
Breaking Down the Numbers
The study tracked financial data starting from the 2022–2023 academic year through the recent reporting period. While the average annual impact sits around $187.7 million, the 2024–2025 fiscal year surpassed $200 million, driven by strong game-day turnout and steady campus event hosting.
This is Our Team, 𝐇𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐢’𝐢’𝐬 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐦. A thread highlighting the findings of a study examining the economic impact UH Athletics has on the local economy 🤙#GoBows pic.twitter.com/FuawYJirk8
Game-day spending, visiting team expenditures, and facility camps brought in $351.27 million. Meanwhile, spending associated directly with athletics employees and student-athletes added $184.94 million to the local economy. Broader athletic revenue, such as sponsorships and media rights, accounted for $146.35 million, and facility construction projects injected another $70.32 million into the state.
Among individual sports, UH football leads revenue generation, bringing in approximately $53 million over the four-year window. Men’s basketball follows closely at $51 million, with men’s volleyball in third at $41 million.
Beyond direct commerce, the athletic department supports steady employment across the islands. The study estimates that UH Athletics-related activity sustained 1,242 jobs in fiscal year 2025 alone, spanning the hospitality, transportation, construction, and retail sectors.
“When the Rainbow Warriors and Rainbow Wahine take the field, it’s more than just a game,” said Outrigger Hospitality Group President and CEO Jeff Wagner. “That activity creates real economic opportunity for our community.”
The Value of National Exposure
The study also evaluated the indirect benefits of athletic visibility, calculating that the exposure of UH Mānoa athletics through national broadcasts and social media carries an advertising value equivalent to $1.73 billion.
During the 2025–2026 school year, official UH Athletics Instagram profiles generated roughly 192 million impressions. Using a baseline valuation of $9.17 per 1,000 impressions, researchers estimated those digital interactions held an equivalent value of $352 million in traditional advertising spend.
Maintaining Competitiveness in the Mountain West Conference
Despite the positive fiscal indicators, athletic leadership points to the growing financial demands of modern collegiate sports. Matt Elliott emphasized that maintaining competitiveness requires keeping pace with conference peers.
“For UH Athletics to be successful and to have a long-term plan, we need to be the top of the conference we’re in,” Elliott said. “Us being in the Mountain West [Conference] is a new investment. It’s a new level of competition, and we need to keep up with the teams that are in that conference so that we can continue to have the success that we have.”
Gov. Green echoed those concerns, pointing to the financial conditions shaped by name, image, and likeness compensation rules. A legislative framework addressing NIL rules for UH failed to pass the state Legislature this year, though Green indicated he would support the measure again.
With an annual athletics budget hovering around $66 million, state leaders face ongoing decisions regarding how to balance public investment against the rising costs of competing at a national level.
