Rainbow Warriors

NCAA Division:

Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS)

Conference:

Mountain West Conference (2012–present)

Past Conferences:

Independent (1909–1978), Western Athletic Conference (1979–2011)

City: Honolulu, Hawaii

Stadium: Clarence T. C. Ching Athletics Complex

Bowl Game Appearances: 14

Championships: 4

National Championships: None

Conference Titles: 4 (1992, 1999, 2007, 2010)

Divisional Championships: None

Team History

The Hawaii Rainbow Warriors are a Division I FBS Football team based in Honolulu, Hawaii. Initially founded in 1909, Hawaii has an overall record of 569–472–25. Originally known as The College of Hawaii, the program didn’t play an intercollegiate game until 1920. After a 1923 upset win over Oregon State, a Rainbow appeared over their home field, and local reporters gave them the nickname “Rainbows”. They later became the Rainbow Warriors in the 1960s and then simply “Warriors” in 2001, before reverting to Rainbow Warriors in 2013.

Outside of a stoppage in play from 1942 to 1945 due to World War II and a missed season in 1961 due to lack of funding, Hawaii team stats have always fielded a team that has played in Division I, despite the long travel every season. Joining the Big West Conference in 1979, Hawaii reached its first bowl game in program history ten years later, essentially playing host to Michigan State in the Jeep Aloha Bowl in their home stadium, Aloha Stadium.

In 2007, led by two-time Heisman Trophy Finalist QB Colt Brennan, Hawaii posted an undefeated regular season for the first time in program history, earning their first ever BCS Bowl appearance and playing Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. Despite losing that game 41-10, that season firmly planted the Rainbow Warriors as one of the notable Mid-Major programs in College Football.

Check out all the updated Hawaii Rainbow Warriors team stats, recent news and betting tips, here at Point Spreads.

All-Time Records (CFB)

Passing yards

⦁ Timmy Chang: 17,072

⦁ Colt Brennan: 14,193

⦁ Bryant Moniz: 10,169

⦁ Cole McDonald: 8,032

⦁ Chevan Cordeiro: 6,167

Rushing yards

⦁ Gary Allen: 3,431

⦁ Diocemy Saint Juste: 3,102

⦁ Michael Carter: 2,534

⦁ Travis Sims: 2,311

⦁ Joey Iosefa: 2,218

Receiving yards

⦁ Greg Salas: 4,345

⦁ Jason Rivers: 3,919

⦁ Davone Bess: 3,610

⦁ Ryan Grice-Mullen: 3,370

⦁ Ashley Lelie: 3,341

FAQs

What Is the Highest Win Total in Hawaii Rainbow Warriors Program History?

The year 2007 was a banner year for the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors, as they went 12-1 on the season under head coach June Jones. They had a perfect 12-0 regular season en route to winning the Western Athletic Conference championship and earning their first and only berth in the Bowl Championship Series, setting them up for a Sugar Bowl showdown against the Georgia Bulldogs. The Cinderella season came to a disappointing close as the Bulldogs beat Hawaii 41-10 on New Year’s Day 2008 in New Orleans.

What Was the Worst Season in Hawaii Rainbow Warriors Program History?

The 1998 Hawaii Rainbow Warriors went winless over 12 games that season under head coach Fred Vonappen, who would be fired at the end of the year. Hawaii averaged a nation-low 12.4 points per game and was held to single digits or fewer in four contests that season.

Who Is the Greatest Player in Hawaii Rainbow Warriors Program History?

Quarterback Timmy Chang is one of the greatest pure passers in the history of College Football. Under June Jones’ Air-Raid offensive scheme, Chang threw for a then-NCAA record 17,072 yards and 117 touchdowns, and -if not for a season-ending wrist injury in 2001- he might still have the record to this day. Chang is also one of a few quarterbacks with four seasons of 3,000 or more passing yards in his career. Chang graduated in 2004 and returned to the program as Head Coach in 2022.

How Many Bowl Games Did Hawaii Make?

The Hawaii Rainbow Warriors have made 14 bowl game appearances in program history, with a record of eight wins and six losses. Their biggest bowl game was in 2007, when they reached the Sugar Bowl against Georgia in the Bowl Championship Series off an undefeated regular season. A total of 10 of their bowl games have been played on their home island, with nine games at Aloha Stadium for the Aloha Bowl (which was renamed the Hawaii Bowl) and one game in the Oahu Bowl in 1999 against the Oregon State Beavers. The only years in which Hawaii has traveled to the mainland for bowl games are 1992, 2007, and 2020,

What Is Hawaii’s Nickname?

The Rainbow Warriors, originated from the program’s first nickname, the Rainbows, after a victory over the Oregon State Beavers back in 1923. Local reporters noticed a rainbow appearing over Moiliili Field and started referring to the team as such. The student body voted in the 1960s to add “Warriors” to the nickname, which stirred some controversy because of the stigma of “Rainbows” that were connected to the Gay & Lesbian community. This conversation resurfaced in the year 2000 when the school went by “Warriors” alone until resuming the use of the full name in 2013.