Hawaii

Hawaii Attempting to Schedule UCLA Game at NFL Stadium

Published

8 months ago

May 10, 2025

Hawaii Attempting to Schedule UCLA Game at NFL Stadium

The Los Angeles Rams and the state of Hawaii have been working together, with the Rams and the Hawaii Tourism Authority pushing new initiatives to help the tourism industry in the islands. As a result, Hawaii governor Josh Green, M.D., led a delegation to Los Angeles in a press conference with the franchise.

However, new developments regarding the use of SoFi Stadium have come out with the belief Hawaii will try and move their home game against UCLA in 2027 to SoFi.

According to KITV.com’s Duane Shimogawa, the state of Hawaii is attempting to negotiate a deal with the Rams to allow the University of Hawaii football team to play a game at SoFi. The state of Hawaii is also in discussions with the Raiders, but they haven’t gone beyond introductory talks.

“Nothing’s confirmed yet, but it certainly has the tentative green light to start working on the discussion, and that home game with UCLA works perfectly into this schedule timeframe,” director of the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism James Tokioka told KITV 4 Island News.

Hawaii is expected to host the UCLA Bruins in 2027 and then travel to the Rose Bowl in 2028. The Bruins and the Hawaii football program have a relationship with the two schools facing off against each other on multiple occasions over the past 50 years.

The school’s legendary head coach Dick Tomey came to Hawaii, being hired from Terry Donahue’s staff at UCLA, the Bruins opened up their 2024 season against Hawaii on island, and UCLA’s defensive coordinator Ikaika Malloe is a native of Hawaii and recruits the region.

Hawaii doesn’t have a permanent stadium after legendary Aloha Stadium, the former home of the NFL’s Pro Bowl, was condemned following the 2020 season. Thus, they could use the opportunity. UCLA played Hawaii in Hawaii’s makeshift on-campus stadium.

Several teams have cancelled non-conference games at Hawaii due to travel concerns, conference realignment, and their new stadium.

When Aloha Stadium was in full use, Hawaii used to average at least one Power Five opponent per season, using home-and-home series to schedule them.

SoFi is roughly half the distance to UCLA as the Rose Bowl is to UCLA.

The last time UCLA played at SoFi, it was in a victorious effort over Boise State in the 2023 LA Bowl.

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Hawaii

Hawaii delivers last-second win over Cal in Hawaii Bowl | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Published

3 hours ago

December 25, 2025

Press Room

Hawaii delivers last-second win over Cal in Hawaii Bowl | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Jamm Aquino / jamm.aquino@staradvertiser.com

Hawaii quarterback Micah Alejado (12) threw a pass against the Cal Golden Bears during the first half of Wednesday’s Hawaii Bowl at the Ching Complex.

Reserve quarterback Luke Weaver came off the sideline and threw a 22-yard scoring pass to Nick Cenacle with 10 seconds left to deliver the Hawaii football team a 35-31 victory over California in the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl on Wednesday.

The Golden Bears took a 31-28 lead with 1:57 to play on Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele’s 1-yard sneak.

The Warriors drove to the 22 on quarterback Micah Alejado’s 13-yard pass to Cam Barfield. But Alejado was hurt on the play, and he hobbled to the UH sideline.

Weaver, who was activated for this game, then lofted the decisive scoring pass to Cenacle.

Weaver was limited to four regular-season games to preserve his redshirt season. But the redshirt limit does not apply to the postseason, clearing Weaver to be activated.

The Warriors scored 21 points in a row to tie it at 21 with 13:50 to play.

Down 21-13, Micah Alejado lofted a 3-yard pass to the threshold of the end zone. Pofele Ashlock made a leaping catch, then curled the ball around the right pylon for the touchdown.

On the 2-point play, Alejado under-handed a shuttle pass to Barfield, who found the end zone to tie it.

Led by Campbell High graduate Sagapolutele’s accurate passing — many on side-armed throws to the flats — the Golden Bears scored on their first three possessions for a 21-0 lead.

But the Warriors eventually got on the board in the second quarter. A play after Pofele Ashlock dropped a screen, he made a one-handed grab for a 30-yard gain. The Warriors drove to the 13, from where Alejado found Ashlock at the end of a corner route to cut the deficit to 21-7 with 3:57 left in the half.

On the Bears’ next possession, Matagi Thompson broke up Sagapolutele’s third-down pass. On fourth down, reserve defensive back Riis Weber blocked Michael Kern’s punt. That set up Kansei Matsuzawa’s 29-yard field goal.

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More UH football coverage

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Hawaii

Federal judge upholds Hawaii’s new climate change tax on cruise passengers

Published

15 hours ago

December 24, 2025

Press Room

Federal judge upholds Hawaii’s new climate change tax on cruise passengers

A federal judge’s ruling allows Hawaii’s new tourist tax, which includes a levy on cruise ship passengers, to take effect in 2026

HONOLULU — A federal judge’s ruling clears the way for Hawaii to include cruise ship passengers in a new tourist tax to help cope with climate change, a levy set to go into effect at the start of 2026.

U.S. District Judge Jill A. Otake on Tuesday denied a request seeking to stop officials from enforcing the new law on cruises.

In the nation’s first such levy to help cope with a warming planet, Hawaii Gov. Josh Green signed legislation in May that raises tax revenue to deal with eroding shorelines, wildfires and other climate problems. Officials estimate the tax will generate nearly $100 million annually.

The levy increases rates on hotel room and vacation rental stays but also imposes a new 11% tax on the gross fares paid by a cruise ship’s passengers, starting next year, prorated for the number of days the vessels are in Hawaii ports.

Cruise Lines International Association challenged the tax in a lawsuit, along with a Honolulu company that provides supplies and provisions to cruise ships and tour businesses out of Kauai and the Big Island that rely on cruise ship passengers. Among their arguments is that the new law violates the Constitution by taxing cruise ships for the privilege of entering Hawaii ports.

Plaintiff lawyers also argued that the tax would hurt tourism by making cruises more expensive. The lawsuit notes the law authorizes counties to collect an additional 3% surcharge, bringing the total to 14% of prorated fares.

“Cruise tourism generates nearly $1 billion in total economic impact for Hawai‘i and supports thousands of local jobs, and we remain focused on ensuring that success continues on a lawful, sustainable foundation,” association spokesperson Jim McCarthy said in a statement.

According to court records, plaintiffs will appeal.

Hawaii will continue to defend the law, which requires cruise operators to pay their share of transient accommodation tax to address climate change threats to the state, state Attorney General Anne Lopez said in a statement.

The U.S. government intervened in the case, calling the tax a “scheme to extort American citizens and businesses solely to benefit Hawaii” in conflict with federal law.

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Hawaii

Episode 39 of the ongoing Halemaʻumaʻu eruption is underway at Kīlauea | Maui Now

Published

1 day ago

December 24, 2025

Press Room

Episode 39 of the ongoing Halemaʻumaʻu eruption is underway at Kīlauea | Maui Now

December 23, 2025, 9:01 PM HST

[V1cam] Kīlauea volcano, Hawaii (west Halemaʻumaʻu crater) VC: USGS

Episode 39 of the ongoing Halemaʻumaʻu eruption began at 8:10 p.m. HST on Dec. 23, according to an update from the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. Sustained lava fountains approximately 100 feet in height are currently erupting from both north and south vents, with increasing heights.

Past episodes have produced incandescent lava fountains over 1,000 feet high that produce eruptive plumes up to 20,000 feet above ground level. According to the National Weather Service, winds are blowing from the northeast direction, which suggests that volcanic gas emissions and volcanic material may be distributed to the southwest.

[V3cam] Kīlauea volcano, Hawaii (south Halemaʻumaʻu crater) VC: USGS

All eruptive activity is confined to Halemaʻumaʻu crater within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park; commercial airports in Hawai’i County (KOA and ITO) will not be affected by this activity.
Three Kīlauea summit livestream videos that show eruptive lava fountains are available here: https://www.youtube.com/@usgs/streams
KPcam and MKcam provide views of the plume height for aviation purposes

Episode 39 was preceded by overflows of degassed lava that began at approximately 6:41 p.m. from the south vent and continued to increase in intensity until 8:10 p.m., when sustained fountaining began, according to the HVO.

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Most episodes of Halemaʻumaʻu lava fountaining since Dec. 23, 2024, have continued for around a day or less and have been separated by pauses in eruptive activity lasting generally at least several days.

No changes have been detected in the East Rift Zone or Southwest Rift Zone.

Kīlauea Volcano Alert Level/Aviation Color Code remain at WATCH/ORANGE. All current and recent activity is within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park.

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