Larry Price, a celebrated University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa scholar-athlete, coach and longtime supporter of the university, is remembered for a life that bridged athletics, education and service to the community. Price died March 27, at the age of 91.

Price distinguished himself as a leader on the football field at UH Mānoa, becoming the only player in program history to be elected team captain three consecutive years from 1962 to 1964. He later earned recognition as one of the greatest players in school history, including selection to the program’s all-time team and designation as “Rainbow of the Decade” for the 1960s. He also played in three Hula Bowl games and signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles Rams.

Price’s impact at UH extended well beyond his playing days. After earning his bachelor’s degree in recreation leadership in 1967 and a master’s degree in educational administration in 1971 from the UH Mānoa College of Education, he returned to campus to mentor the next generation. He served as head men’s volleyball coach from 1969 to 1972, resident manager of the athletic dormitory and later head football coach from 1974 to 1976. During his tenure as head coach, UH became an NCAA Division I member, changed its nickname to the Rainbow Warriors, introduced the “Hula-T” formation, and on September 13, 1975, christened the newly-built 50,000-seat Aloha Stadium against Texas A&I.

“I’ve considered all of the people I went to school with my friends forever,” Price said in a . “The faculty took particularly good care of me,” he added, specifically pointing to his “favorite faculty member,” Harold St. John, from whom he took a botany course.

In the classroom and across campus, Price was equally dedicated. He went on to earn a doctorate in education from the University of Southern California and completed postdoctoral work at Stanford University, while also serving as an assistant professor at Chaminade University of Honolulu. At UH, he later led the Small Business Management Program, continuing his commitment to education and professional development.

His legacy includes a lasting connection to the broader �鶹��ý community. Price built a distinguished career in media, joining KSSK Radio and becoming a familiar voice to generations of listeners. As a television journalist with KITV4, he earned national recognition for his documentary work. Price was also known for his sports commentary and his signature “katoosh!” call.

Throughout his life, Price remained closely tied to UH. He was a , and 1989 UH Distinguished Alumni Award honoree. Price was also a life member of the UH Alumni Association with the UH Mānoa Letterwinners Club and College of Education Alumni Association.

—By Marc Arakaki

The University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa will open the 2026 season on the road against Stanford University before playing a full conference slate in the Mountain West Conference.

The Rainbow Warriors will begin the season August 29, at Stanford, marking a Week 0 matchup against the Cardinal. UH will then return to Honolulu for its home opener and first Mountain West game on September 5, against UNLV at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex.

�鶹��ý will play a 12-game schedule featuring six home games and six road games.

2026 Rainbow Warrior football schedule

• August 29—at Stanford
• September 5—UNLV*
• September 12—New Mexico State
• September 26—at Wyoming*
• October 3—San José State*
• October 10—at Arizona State
• October 17—New Mexico*
• October 24—at Northern Illinois*
• November 7—at UTEP*
• November 14—North Dakota State*
• November 21—at Nevada*
• November 28—Sacramento State

*Mountain West game

The date for the Mountain West Championship Game has not yet been announced.

Read more at .

The University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa will host Sacramento State on November 28, 2026 at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex, marking the first-ever meeting between the two programs.

The matchup replaces the first game of a previously scheduled home-and-home series with UMass that had been set for that date. The Rainbow Warriors will now seek a replacement opponent for the August 28, 2027 season opener that was originally scheduled against UMass.

Sacramento State will be entering its first season as an Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) program in 2026 as a member of the Mid-American Conference.

Other nonconference matchups on UH’s 2026 schedule include road games at Stanford (August 29) and Arizona State (October 10), along with a home game against New Mexico State (September 12). The Rainbow Warriors also recently added North Dakota State to a future season schedule after the Bison joined the Mountain West Conference.

To see the full schedule, visit .

Updated conference opponents for the University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa team’s 2026 season were announced February 24 by the Mountain West. The new matchups come after the addition of North Dakota State to the league earlier this month.

The Rainbow Warriors will host the Bison at Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex in addition to three teams previously scheduled to make the trip to Honolulu in New Mexico, San Jose State and UNLV. UH Mānoa will travel to Nevada, Northern Illinois (NIU), UTEP and Wyoming.

UH Mānoa will take on all three new members of the Mountain West—Northern Illinois, North Dakota State and UTEP in 2026. The Rainbow Warriors have never matched up with both NIU and North Dakota State. UH Mānoa and UTEP were longtime rivals in the Western Athletic Conference where the Rainbow Warriors hold an 18-13 series advantage. The teams last met in 2004.

UH Mānoa’s 12-game schedule includes six home games and six road games. The Rainbow Warriors’ previously announced non-conference slate includes home games against New Mexico State (September 12), and Massachusetts (November 28) and road games at Stanford (August 29) and Arizona State (September 19).

Mountain West Home Games

• New Mexico
• North Dakota State
• San Jose State
• UNLV

Mountain West Away Games

• Nevada
• NIU
• UTEP
• Wyoming

Twenty-five student-athletes were named to the Mountain West Academic All-Conference team for strong performances in the classroom and on the field.

To be eligible for selection, student-athletes must have completed at least one academic term, while maintaining a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or better and competing in 50% of their teams’ completed varsity contests.

Among the student-athletes recognized include fourth-year honorees Karsyn Pupunu and Landon Sims, third-year honoree Jamih Otis, and second-year honorees Elijah Palmer and All-American placekicker Kansei Matsuzawa.

For a full list of honorees, visit the .

University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa placekicker Kansei Matsuzawa earned first-team 2025 Academic All-American honors, by the College Sports Communicators.

Matsuzawa is the ninth Rainbow Warrior to gain academic All-America recognition and the fourth UH Mānoa player to gain a spot on the first team joining Kealoha Pilares (2010), Chris Shinnick (1997) and Travis Sims (1992).

The academic award adds to one of the most accomplished seasons in Rainbow Warrior history. Matsuzawa set new UH Mānoa records for single-season and consecutive field goals made—27 and 26, respectively. He also tied a four-decade old Football Bowl Subdivision record by converting his first 25 field goals of the season. By the year’s end, the senior became the ʻBows first-ever consensus All-American, was named the Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Year and was a finalist for the Lou Groza Award.

Matsuzawa graduated in December with a 3.68 GPA in interdisciplinary studies.

Read more at .

The is drawing early national attention heading into the 2026 college football season, with .

In its preliminary outlook released January 22, ESPN projected UH as the top-ranked Group of Six conference champion, a designation that would currently earn an automatic berth in the playoff field. The projection places the Rainbow Warriors in the No. 12 spot and among teams from the nation’s power conferences in the sport’s most high-profile postseason format.

“This is a nice acknowledgment for our players and the work they’ve put in, but we realize that it’s just a projection. It doesn’t change what we have to do day to day,” Head Coach Timmy Chang said. “We know there’s a lot of work ahead, and everything still has to be earned on the field.”

2025 breakthrough season

The early recognition follows a breakthrough 2025 campaign under Chang. UH Mānoa finished 9-4, earned a thrilling �鶹��ý Bowl victory and posted wins against power-conference opponents, helping elevate the program’s national profile.

ESPN’s projection cited the Rainbow Warriors’ challenging schedule as a potential advantage in the Group of Six race. UH Mānoa is scheduled to face Stanford and Arizona State during the 2026 regular season, matchups that could bolster its postseason résumé against Power Four opponents while competing for a conference title in a reconfigured Mountain West Conference.

The playoff projection envisions UH Mānoa opening the postseason on the road against USC, a matchup that would pair the Rainbow Warriors with one of college football’s most recognizable brands. Final playoff selections remain subject to on-field results, conference championships and committee rankings.

“This kind of early attention brings visibility to our University and reflects the momentum we’re building,” Athletics Director Matt Elliott said. “We understand there are still countless hours of preparation ahead of the team before a down is played next season, but it speaks to the growing excitement surrounding �鶹��ý’s football program and UH Mānoa Athletics overall.”

The Rainbow Warriors are scheduled to begin spring practice in February. UH Mānoa opens the 2026 season on the road at Stanford out of the Atlantic Coast Conference on August 29.

reached new levels of national visibility in 2025, with leadership news and on-field success capturing attention across the college sports landscape.

A story announcing Matt Elliott as UH Mānoa’s next athletic director ranked among the top 10 most-read items of the year in D1.ticker, a widely read newsletter for NCAA Division I athletics decision-makers. Elliott’s appointment reflects growing interest in UH’s athletic leadership among national audiences.

On the field, the �鶹��ý Bowl, which saw the Rainbow Warriors win in a nail-biting finish over Cal, drew an estimated 2.7 million viewers, placing the game in the top 14 nationally among non-College Football Playoff bowl games.

“These metrics show two sides of national visibility—industry attention and fan engagement,” UH Mānoa Professor Wayne Buente said. “Being widely read by athletic directors and administrators through D1.ticker, while also drawing millions of viewers to a �鶹��ý Bowl broadcast, reflects UH Mānoa Athletics’ growing relevance across the college sports landscape. The �鶹��ý Bowl being on traditional mass media has a wide reach and the UH Athletics social media team did a great job latching onto that event and building strong engagement over the holidays.”

The �鶹��ý Bowl’s high viewership was accompanied by strong engagement on UH Athletics’ social media channels. Between December 24 and 26, football posts on official X, Facebook and Instagram accounts generated more than 5.5 million impressions, 209,416 engagements and more than 1.2 million video views. These numbers were a result of 36 posts on X, 24 on Facebook and 26 on Instagram during the holiday period that kept fans engaged and amplified excitement around the team’s successes.

The Communication Program is housed in the in the UH Mānoa .The post UH Mānoa Athletics captures national attention with leadership, bowl success first appeared on University of Hawaiʻi System News.]]> 228200 /news/2026/01/06/five-football-academic-honors/ Tue, 06 Jan 2026 20:26:20 +0000 /news/?p=227852 Five UH Mānoa football players were named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team, honoring their achievements on and off the field.

Call it a Christmas Eve miracle in Mānoa.

A Sheraton �鶹��ý Bowl matchup already brimming with storylines and local connections saved its most dramatic moments for last when a backup quarterback threw the winning touchdown pass with 10 seconds left to lift the to a thrilling 35-31 win over California on December 24 at a sold-out Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex.

After UH Mānoa quarterback Micah Alejado orchestrated a comeback from a 21-point deficit, backup Luke Weaver wrote himself into program lore by lofting a 22-yard touchdown pass to Nick Cenacle in a holiday wish come true to provide an emphatic punctuation on a breakthrough season for the Rainbow Warriors.

The Rainbow Warriors (9-4) faced their largest first-half deficit of the season when Cal scored on its first three possessions to jump out to a 21-0 lead in the second quarter. UH Mānoa stormed back by scoring on four consecutive drives to score 21 unanswered and tied the game early in the fourth quarter after �鶹��ý Bowl MVP Pofele Ashlock caught his second touchdown pass of the game. After a Cal field goal, UH Mānoa took its first lead of the game when Brandon White pulled in a 17-yard touchdown pass from Alejado.

Cal see-sawed ahead on a quarterback sneak just after the 2-minute timeout, and the Rainbow Warriors delivered one more holiday wish come true with Alejado leading the Warriors deep into California territory before having to go to the sideline with an injury with 15 seconds showing. Weaver, who had stepped in for Alejado twice earlier in the game, then connected with Cenacle to electrify the sellout crowd.

The Rainbow Warriors tied the largest comeback in program history—matching rallies against Michigan State in 2004 and Washington in 2007—in UH Mānoa’s ninth bowl win.

Alejado completed 32-of-46 passes for 274 yards and three touchdowns. Two scores went to Ashlock, who tied the game record with a career-high 14 receptions covering 123 yards. Cenacle caught eight receptions for 59 yards, the last 22 coming on the game-winner from Weaver, who completed two throws in place of Alejado on the final drive.

The Rainbow Warriors reached the nine-win mark for the first time since 2019 and the 16th time in program history. Timmy Chang has been part of four of those seasons, three as a player (2001–03) and now as head coach. The only two-time MVP in �鶹��ý Bowl history, Chang, prevailed in the 2025 coaching duel with former UH Mānoa teammate and interim Cal head coach Nick Rolovich.

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