Matt Elliott Reflects on Landmark First Year, Conference Stability and the Future of Hawaiʻi Athletics at Mountain West Media Days

LAS VEGAS — Nearly one year after taking over as University of Hawaiʻi Athletics Director, Matt Elliott says the foundation has been laid. Now, it’s time to build.

Joining HSRN live from Mountain West Football Media Days at the Palms Casino Resort, Elliott reflected on a whirlwind first year that included conference realignment, media rights negotiations, coaching hires and continued changes across the college athletics landscape. With many of those major pieces now in place, he believes Hawaiʻi is entering a period of stability that allows the department to focus on long-term growth.

“It does feel like a little bit of stability is a nice thing,” Elliott said. “You can look at your whiteboard and say, ‘Alright, this is a project we can take on now,’ and have real aspirations to continue moving things forward.”

That optimism comes after one of the most successful years in recent UH Athletics history. 

“It was unbelievable,” Elliott said. “We can prepare ourselves to be in the best position possible. We can’t control whether we win or lose every game, but we can control how prepared we are. I think we’re in a position right now to be very successful in the Mountain West.”

One of the biggest developments heading into the 2026-27 athletic season is the launch of Mountain West Plus, the conference’s new streaming platform. Elliott explained that fans who subscribe using Hawaiʻi’s designated link and select UH as their favorite school will directly support the athletic department, with 60 percent of subscriber revenue returning to Hawaiʻi.

“It’s all upside,” Elliott said. “The more subscribers we have and the more advertisers we have, that’s revenue we can invest right back into our programs.”

Beyond the financial impact, Elliott believes the service will solve one of the biggest frustrations among UH fans by providing access to nearly every conference road contest across multiple sports.

“For less than $80 a year, you’re getting all of our conference games,” he said. “That’s baseball, softball, volleyball, basketball — everything. I think fans are really going to appreciate having all of that in one place.”

Internally, Elliott is also focused on strengthening the department’s leadership structure. UH recently opened a search for a Deputy Athletics Director for External Operations, a position that will oversee fundraising, ticket sales, corporate partnerships, licensing, marketing and strategic communications.

“We’re doing a good job now,” Elliott said, “but the upside is significant if we can align fundraising, sponsorships, NIL efforts and our storytelling under one vision.”

Another major development came this week with University of Hawaiʻi President Wendy Hensel being selected to the College Football Playoff Board of Managers. Elliott called the appointment significant, saying it gives Hawaiʻi and the Mountain West an important voice as college football continues to evolve.

“I talk all the time about having a seat at the table,” Elliott said. “When you’re in the room, you understand what’s coming, and that helps you make better decisions strategically. I think we’re in really good hands.”

On the football side, Elliott praised the culture head coach Timmy Chang and his staff have built, pointing to player retention as one of the program’s greatest accomplishments.

Despite navigating the transfer portal and NIL era, only three Rainbow Warriors left for NIL opportunities following last season.

“That, to me, spoke enormous volumes,” Elliott said. “Everybody wanted to stay. Everybody wanted to keep building this together. We may not have the newest stadium yet, but these student-athletes still want to be here.”

That continuity was on display at Mountain West Media Days, where Hawaiʻi sent four student-athlete representatives: quarterback Micah Alejado, linebacker Jamih Otis, defensive back Elijah Palmer and offensive lineman Cam Barfield.
Alejado highlighted the group after being named the Mountain West Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, while he, Otis and Palmer were also selected to the Preseason All-Mountain West Team.

“They’re phenomenal young men,” Elliott said. “The recognition is deserved because of who they are as people, how they work and the culture our coaches continue to build.”

Looking ahead, Elliott said another major announcement is on the horizon.

The university’s long-awaited economic impact study has been completed and is currently undergoing final review before its public release later this summer. Elliott believes the report will provide valuable data demonstrating the financial impact UH Athletics has on Hawaiʻi’s economy and tourism industry.

“It’s going to be really positive,” Elliott said. “Once it’s released, we’ll have data we can point to for years showing the impact our athletic department has on the community.”

Elliott closed the interview by encouraging fans to purchase football season tickets, pointing specifically to Hawaiʻi’s home opener against UNLV, while also unveiling plans for a brand-new pregame experience.

This season, the popular pregame festivities will move to the top level of the campus parking structure for a new “Rooftop Pāʻina,” featuring a fan festival, beer garden, VIP spaces and views overlooking the field as the Rainbow Warriors warm up before kickoff.

“I am so excited about this,” Elliott said. “It’s going to be an amplified tailgating experience, and I think our fans are really going to enjoy it.”

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