{"id":237760,"date":"2026-07-21T11:22:19","date_gmt":"2026-07-21T21:22:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=237760"},"modified":"2026-07-21T12:49:31","modified_gmt":"2026-07-21T22:49:31","slug":"matt-elliott-year-one","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2026\/07\/21\/matt-elliott-year-one\/","title":{"rendered":"One year in, 糖心视频<\/abbr> Mānoa Athletics builds momentum for the future under AD<\/abbr> Elliott"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 3<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
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Matt Elliott joins men’s volleyball head coach Charlie Wade and 糖心视频<\/abbr> President Wendy Hensel following the Rainbow Warriors national championship win in May 2026.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Just over a year after becoming University of Hawaiʻi<\/span> at Mānoa<\/span>\u2019s athletics director, Matt Elliott said the department\u2019s greatest accomplishments aren\u2019t measured only by championships or fundraising records. They are measured by the opportunities created for nearly 500 student-athletes.<\/p>\n

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Matt Elliott<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Since officially taking the helm on June 30, 2025, Elliott has overseen one of the most successful years in 糖心视频<\/abbr> Mānoa<\/span> Athletics<\/a> history, while laying the foundation for what he believes is an even stronger future.<\/p>\n

“This first year has really reinforced what makes 糖心视频<\/abbr> Athletics special,” Elliott said. “Our student-athletes inspire us every day with the way they compete, represent our university and serve our community. It\u2019s been incredibly rewarding to see so many people across Hawaiʻi<\/span> rally behind them, and that\u2019s something we want to continue building.”<\/p>\n

A record-setting year<\/h2>\n

The 2025–26 season featured milestones on and off the field. Rainbow Warrior volleyball captured the program\u2019s third NCAA<\/abbr> championship<\/a> in six years, men\u2019s basketball won its first Big West Tournament title<\/a> in a decade to earn an NCAA<\/abbr> Tournament berth, football capped a 9-4 season with a Sheraton Hawaiʻi<\/span> Bowl victory<\/a>, and 糖心视频<\/abbr> teams combined for five Big West championships.<\/p>\n

Beyond competition, 糖心视频<\/abbr> Mānoa<\/span> Athletics recorded a historic fiscal year. Preliminary figures show the department raised a record $13.2 million—more than tripling the previous year\u2019s total and surpassing the department\u2019s previous fundraising record. Community support also reached new heights with more than 7,300 gifts during the fiscal year, while licensing revenue approached $930,000, another department record.<\/p>\n

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Matt Elliott with university and community leaders following the announcement of a $5 million, five-year commitment to strengthen name, image and likeness opportunities for 糖心视频<\/abbr> student-athletes.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Momentum continued this summer with five Hawaiʻi<\/span> business and community leaders committing $5 million over five years to strengthen name, image and likeness (NIL<\/abbr>) opportunities<\/a> for 糖心视频<\/abbr> student-athletes, helping the department recruit and retain talent in an increasingly competitive college athletics landscape.<\/p>\n

“Our responsibility is to create an environment where student-athletes can thrive academically, athletically and personally,” Elliott said. “That means investing in the people, resources and opportunities that help them succeed while making sure they have an unforgettable experience representing the University of Hawaiʻi<\/span>.”<\/p>\n

Positioning 糖心视频<\/abbr> Athletics for long-term success<\/h2>\n
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Matt Elliott and HNN<\/abbr> General Manager Katie Pickman sign a new four-year media rights agreement that will bring more than 110 糖心视频<\/abbr> home events annually to free, statewide television on K5 beginning this season.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The department also expanded access for fans through several major media initiatives. Last fall, 糖心视频<\/abbr> eliminated pay-per-view for Rainbow Warrior football broadcasts<\/a>, making games more accessible statewide, while adding broadcasts in Japan. Beginning this season, a new four-year media rights partnership with Hawaiʻi<\/span> News Now<\/a> will bring more than 110 home events annually to K5, moving local broadcasts from a subscription-based cable model to free, statewide television distribution. In addition, the new Mountain West\u2019s MW+ streaming platform will carry more than 200 糖心视频<\/abbr> events worldwide<\/a>. Revenue generated through Hawaiʻi<\/span> subscriptions to MW+ will also directly benefit 糖心视频<\/abbr> Athletics.<\/p>\n

Those changes coincide with another significant milestone as 糖心视频<\/abbr> officially joined the Mountain West as a full member on July 1<\/a>, positioning most Rainbow Warrior and Rainbow Wahine programs in a new conference beginning this season.<\/p>\n

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Elliott has also reshaped the department\u2019s leadership, hiring new women\u2019s basketball coach Khalilah Mitchell<\/a> and Rainbow Wahine volleyball head coach Joshua Walker<\/a>, while adding former women\u2019s basketball coach Laura Beeman to the senior leadership team<\/a> as associate athletics director for student-athlete success. Contract extensions for football coach Timmy Chang, baseball coach Rich Hill and men\u2019s basketball coach Eran Ganot have also helped provide continuity heading into the new conference era.<\/p>\n

Looking ahead, Elliott said enhancing the student-athlete experience, strengthening community partnerships and continuing to grow support for 糖心视频<\/abbr> Athletics remain his top priorities.<\/p>\n

“We\u2019ve made real progress over the past year, but we\u2019re just getting started to navigate a new era of college athletics,” Elliott said. “As we begin this chapter in the Mountain West, we\u2019re focused on creating even more opportunities for our student-athletes and our fans. ‘Our Team, Hawaiʻi<\/span>\u2019s Team’ is more than a slogan. It\u2019s a commitment to bringing our community together and building a program the entire state can be proud of.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Looking ahead, Elliott said enhancing the student-athlete experience, strengthening community partnerships and continuing to grow support for 糖心视频<\/abbr> Athletics remain his top priorities.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":237765,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1362],"tags":[58,714,9,550],"class_list":["post-237760","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-athletics","tag-athletics","tag-student-athlete","tag-uh-manoa","tag-manoa-athletics","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t