Matt Elliott Talks Bows Athletics Club, Football Fan Experience and New Season

University of Hawai‘i Athletics Director Matt Elliott joined Hawai‘i Sports Radio Network on Friday to discuss a busy stretch for the department, from a sudden coaching change to new fundraising initiatives and the start of the 2026-27 athletic year.

Elliott addressed the resignation of women’s water polo head coach James Robinson, saying UH has already begun an accelerated search for his replacement. With student-athletes scheduled to return to campus in approximately two weeks, Elliott said the department hopes to have a new head coach in place by then.

Much of the conversation centered on UH’s recently launched Bows Athletics Club and Shoji Society, two initiatives designed to strengthen the connection between supporters and the athletics department.

Elliott described the Bows Athletics Club as a more comprehensive approach to recognizing supporters, taking into account annual giving and longtime season-ticket loyalty.

Membership begins at $100, with different benefits available based on levels of support. Elliott also confirmed that membership and loyalty will eventually factor into opportunities surrounding seating at the new Aloha Stadium.

The Shoji Society, named in honor of legendary Rainbow Wahine volleyball coach Dave Shoji, recognizes major gifts that Elliott said can have a transformational impact on UH Athletics. Those contributions can help support areas such as student-athlete nutrition, mental health services, scholarships and NIL.

Elliott also provided an update on UH Athletics’ long-awaited economic impact study, saying the extensive report has gone through additional review on campus and is back with the company that prepared it for final revisions. While he stopped short of providing a release date, Elliott said the department wants to ensure the report has been fully vetted before making it public.

With football approaching its Sept. 5 home opener against UNLV, Elliott detailed several new fan-experience options at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex, including the rooftop pā‘ina, reservable pregame tailgate space and 10 new field-level VIP tables.

Elliott closed the conversation looking ahead to the new athletic year and emphasizing UH Athletics’ continued push to strengthen its connection with fans and supporters.

“I think our goal is to continue to try to create ways to feel connected, to feel that the community is part of our program, that it truly is our team, Hawai‘i’s team,” Elliott said.

With new fundraising initiatives taking shape, expanded fan experiences on the way and another season getting underway, Elliott said there is plenty of reason for excitement around the department.

“Just really, truly, genuinely excited,” Elliott said. “I have so much respect for our student-athletes and our coaches who’ve been preparing, and at the same time, just so much gratitude to our fans.”