Bank of Hawaiʻi, First Hawaiian Bank, Matson, Tsui & Dods make transformative $5-million commitment

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Five prominent Hawaiʻi donors and organizations are making a transformative $5-million commitment to the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Athletics Department via the UH Foundation to support name, image and likeness (NIL) opportunities for student-athletes and help ensure the long-term success and national relevance of UH Mānoa Athletics.

The commitment will provide $1 million annually over the next five years for NIL support, helping UH Mānoa retain homegrown talent, recruit high-level student-athletes and provide equitable, Title IX-compliant opportunities across sports in an increasingly competitive Division I athletics environment. It will also strengthen a program that generates statewide pride, visibility and meaningful economic impact for Hawaiʻi.

The five contributors, each committing $200,000 annually for five years, are Bank of Hawaiʻi, First Hawaiian Bank, Matson, and longtime UH supporters and community leaders Jack Tsui and Walter Dods.

"This extraordinary commitment reflects something that has always made Hawaiʻi special: people who deeply believe in UH and understand the important role athletics plays in bringing our community together," said UH Mānoa Director of Athletics Matt Elliott. "College athletics has changed, and our objective is to adapt in a way that reflects the values of this university and our state. Our goal is to build a stable, student-centered foundation that supports academic success, competitive excellence and responsible NIL opportunities while ensuring UH Mānoa remains 'Our Team, Hawaiʻi's Team.'"

Changing college athletics landscape

As NIL compensation has become a standard component of Division I athletics nationwide, universities across the country-including every member of the Mountain West Conference, which UH Mānoa will officially join as a full member on July 1-have committed significant resources to support student-athletes. University leaders estimate UH Mānoa needs approximately $5 million annually in NIL support to remain competitive in the Mountain West and on the national stage.

UH Athletics has united Hawaiʻi communities during moments of triumph in just the last year-from the men's volleyball national championship and men's basketball's return to the NCAA Tournament after winning the Big West title, to football's thrilling Hawaiʻi Bowl victory over Cal before a sold-out crowd at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex and a national television audience that peaked at 3 million viewers.

University leaders say those moments of shared pride underscore the broader value athletics brings to Hawaiʻi: creating connection, visibility and economic impact beyond campus. A 2015 study by the UH Mānoa Shidler College of Business, based on a $35 million athletics budget at the time, found UH Athletics generated $66 million in direct spending, produced $128 million in statewide business sales, generated approximately $7 million in tax revenue and supported more than 860 jobs across Hawaiʻi. An updated economic impact study evaluating the department's current contribution to the state economy is nearing completion and expected this summer.

Beyond its statewide impact, athletics creates meaningful educational opportunities, with nearly 500 student-athletes participating in UH Mānoa programs and more than 170 degrees earned by student-athletes last year.

Hawaiʻi leaders unite behind UH Athletics

The donors said they recognize college athletics has fundamentally changed and believe Hawaiʻi must adapt to ensure local student-athletes can continue representing their home state at the highest levels. Several said broader support-from the private sector, community and eventually the state-will be needed to ensure UH remains competitive nationally.

Longtime UH Athletics partner Jim Polk, president and chief executive officer of Bank of Hawaiʻi, said the new commitment builds on the bank's longstanding support for UH student-athletes and the broader university community.

"Bank of Hawaiʻi has proudly supported UH Athletics for many years because we believe in the important role it plays in developing student leaders and bringing our communities together," Polk said. "This commitment builds on that longstanding partnership and helps ensure UH student-athletes have the resources to succeed in a changing collegiate athletics environment. UH student-athletes represent the best of Hawaiʻi, and supporting them strengthens opportunities for young people while fostering pride across our state."

Bob Harrison, chairman, president and chief executive officer of First Hawaiian Bank, said the university's athletics program represents Hawaiʻi in ways that extend far beyond wins and losses.

"First Hawaiian Bank has long supported the University of Hawaiʻi because of the important role it plays in developing future leaders and strengthening our communities," Harrison said. "Athletics is an important part of the university experience, creating opportunities for student-athletes while helping foster pride, engagement and visibility for the university. We are proud to support UH and invest in the success of its student-athletes, helping create opportunities for them to grow as leaders while representing our university and our state."

Matt Cox, chairman and CEO of Matson, said creating a competitive NIL program at UH is needed to help keep local student athletes in Hawaiʻi.

"University of Hawai'i is a pillar of our community, and it's critical that it remains competitive at the highest levels," Cox said. "Today, that requires establishing a strong NIL foundation that will help UH attract and retain top local talent, and we need to start now."

Jack Tsui, longtime UH supporter and chair of the Clarence T.C. Ching Foundation and former First Hawaiian Bank president said that the private sector has an important role to play in assisting the UH athletics department to continue to be competitive.

"My wife Frances and I are honored to participate in the fundraising project for NIL," said Tsui. "We hope that our commitment will encourage other donors, large and small, UH supporters, business and community leaders to stand up and be counted so that UH can continue to be competitive and thrive."

Walter Dods, former chief executive officer of First Hawaiian Bank and one of the university's most prolific philanthropic supporters, said the changing landscape of college athletics requires Hawaiʻi to act.

"People can certainly have different opinions about whether college athletes should be compensated, but the reality is already here," Dods said. "Every school we compete against is investing in NIL, and if we want Hawaiʻi teams to remain competitive and our student-athletes to stay home, then we-the state, the private sector and the broader community-need to step up in some way. We understand the pressures on the Legislature and that everyone is asking for support. That is part of why the five of us decided to act now and help create a foundation others can build on."

Building a foundation for the future

Without a stable NIL foundation, UH leaders say the university risks losing local talent, widening recruiting gaps and falling behind in a rapidly evolving Division I athletics landscape.

UH President Wendy Hensel said the $5-million commitment provides an important foundation for UH Mānoa Athletics, while emphasizing that broader support will ultimately be needed to sustain long-term success.

"We are deeply grateful to Bank of Hawaiʻi, First Hawaiian Bank, Matson, Jack Tsui and Walter Dods for stepping forward with this extraordinary commitment to our student-athletes and the future of UH Mānoa Athletics," Hensel said. "College athletics has fundamentally changed, and this investment helps ensure UH can continue to retain Hawaiʻi student-athletes and remain competitive while creating benefits that extend well beyond campus-from student success and statewide pride to the significant economic impact for our state."

Elliott said the commitment represents a strong start, but emphasized continued investment will be critical to building long-term success.

"I genuinely believe we are only scratching the surface of what UH Athletics can become," Elliott said. "If we build this foundation the right way-with support from philanthropy, corporate partners and ultimately the state-we can retain local student-athletes, compete at a high level and continue creating opportunities for student-athletes who want to stay home, earn their degrees and represent Hawaiʻi the right way."

Elliott added that UH Mānoa Athletics plans to launch a new giving society later this year to honor the individuals and organizations helping strengthen opportunities for student-athletes and support the department's long-term future.

"The five leadership commitments announced today serve as an inspiring foundation for the giving society and underscore the momentum building for Our Team, Hawaiʻi's Team."