HONOLULU – The Mountain West survives, for now. 

The conference’s remaining schools, including football-only member Hawai’i, signed a memorandum of understanding to affirm commitment to the Mountain West through 2032 on Thursday. The institutions also agreed with the MWC to execute a Grant of Media Rights from member schools and the conference from July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2032. 

Hawai’i athletic director Craig Angelos addressed the media on Thursday afternoon, taking questions after spending significant time discussing and executing the university’s next step for the athletic future. Below are some of the topics touched on during Angelos’ press availability. 

• “Over the previous 24-48 hours, we’ve had numerous discussions with Pac-12 officials.” 

Angelos opened his availability with transparency that Hawai’i had been involved in conversations with multiple conferences to assess where the institution stood and potential steps regarding a home for the football team among other programs for UH. While maintaining a timeline of a decision with the Mountain West, Angelos and Hawai’i leaders met with representatives from the Pac-12 and the conference’s consulting firm, Navigate, about the value that UH could bring to the rebuilding Pac-12. 

• “After a Pac-12 meeting … we were not going to be extended an offer.” 

Despite best efforts to pitch Hawai’i’s value overall and as a football program, Pac-12 leadership balked at extending an offer to UH. A major factor in the decision to not extend the offer was a $30 million price tag it would have taken to bring the Rainbow Warriors to the Pac-12, a full $17 million exit fee and $13 million poaching fee for the lone football-only member of the Mountain West. 

• “We all agreed on which direction we had to go, or eventually went.” 

Angelos said that he and UH president David Lassner were in constant communication as the week unfolded. Despite rumors and reports of certain parties pushing for Hawai’i to choose one direction, the Hawai’i athletic director said that all parties were informed and on the same page of what the university’s path would be in the movement among programs. 

• “We certainly would have liked to see more, but we certainly accept our share and will be good members of the Mountain West Conference going forward.” 

When asked on Hawai’i’s paltry 5% share of the incoming revenue from the Pac-12 raid of the Mountain West Conference, Angelos admitted understanding that part of the reason was due to having one singular program in the conference and not being a full-time member but mentioned football’s overall value to end-of-year revenue numbers for all conferences. The athletic director also mentioned conversations with the MWC to potentially become a full-fledged member and bring the other programs into the fold, but quickly added that those talks were not significant at this time. 

• “The reduction of the subsidies that we pay in the Mountain West has been talked about.” 

One of the underrated costs of playing football in the Mountain West, Hawai’i pays subsidies between $150,000-$175,000 to teams when they visit the islands for a game as part of an agreement with the conference. Angelos shared that during discussions with the conference, talks around those extra costs being cut down or slashed all together were held and could be on the table for Hawai’i when the action across the landscape dies down. 

• “It gives us the opportunity to grow and get back to where we were … in the Sugar Bowl days.” 

Regarding the learning experience for the university after a whirlwind week and change, Angelos acknowledged the agreement for eight more years of stability provides Hawai’i the chance to return to being a successful program on the gridiron while upgrading the facilities for multiple programs as well and become a more viable option for opportunities in the future. 

• “Being in a conference is so important and we are so lucky to be a part of the Mountain West Conference.” 

Angelos expressed happiness over settling the distraction hanging over Hawai’i football this season and beyond with a safe spot in the Mountain West Conference, sharing reasons why going independent as a football program was never a viable option for UH. Cited among those reasons were scheduling issues into October and later or the potential possibility of sending the team on an extended trip to the continent as problems with the no-home conference route.  

• “We have been talking with [Spectrum] to see if we could extend one year to 2026.” 

The current deal with Spectrum Sports and the University of Hawai’i runs through the summer of 2025, which Angelos openly admitted the institution was exploring a one-year extension to the partnership to re-evaluate the best path forward when the entire conference does the same in 2026. The inclusion of Hawai’i in the Mountain West Conference’s next media deal could provide an increased value. 

• “These are one-time bonus payments.” 

Regarding the 5% cut of the overall pool of revenue from the Pac-12 poaching that Hawai’i will receive, Angelos said that the smaller portion was a one-time bonus payment structure and not an indication of the share that Hawai’i would receive in future revenue-sharing opportunities (i.e., Media Rights). The payments were offered to members after the first group of programs announced plans to exit for the Pac-12 but are not expected to be paid out until further in the future. 

• “There’s never been any serious discussion with [joining Conference USA].” 

When asked about a report from @RedditCFB on X from earlier in the week regarding potential discussions with Conference USA, Angelos said that conversations never really were had regarding Hawai’i seriously making a move into C-USA. The Hawai’i AD was seen talking with C-USA commissioner Judy MacLeod on the sidelines of UH football’s 31-13 loss at Sam Houston on September 14, a conversation he chalked up to catching up with a colleague of over 20 years. 

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