Seven years ago, the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors were 12-0 and set to play against the Georgia Bulldogs in the Sugar Bowl. That moment is the pinnacle of Warriors’ football.
Hawaii was eventually trounced by Georgia 41-10. And it’s been downhill ever since the deflating loss.
It’s reached the point where Hawaii football could cease to exist in the near future.
“There’s a very real possibility of football going away,” University of Hawaii Athletics Director Ben Jay said at a Board of Regents meeting Monday.
Since head coach Norm Chow took over the program in 2012, the Rainbow Warriors are 4-20 overall. In 2013, the team finished 1-11. And the team’s lack of competitiveness isn’t the biggest concern surrounding the program.
According to Jay, the university’s athletic program will operate at a $2.1 million deficit this season and it has done so 11 of the past 13 years.
“We’re going to have to generate more revenue,” Jay told Hawaii News Now Thursday. “There’s no doubt about that. We’ve always had to do that. People want to support football and basketball and baseball and all of our other sports, so it’s going to come down to how are we going to get that support financially from our fan base and from all the folks who love UH athletics.”
(Hat tip: KITV 4 ABC)