HONOLULU — The University of Hawaii will host three Big West volleyball tournaments – two men’s and its first women’s – through 2026, the conference announced at a press conference at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center on Friday.
The next two Big West men’s tournaments, including April 18 to 20, 2024, will be held at the Sheriff. UH must wait until 2026 to host its first Big West women’s volleyball tournament, which debuts this year at Long Beach State.
“The Big West Conference is excited to announce that championship volleyball is back in Hawaii,” said BWC Commissioner Dan Butterly, who credited the league’s relationship with the Hawaii Tourism Authority and the Islands’ “tremendous fan support” in volleyball for making it possible to bring over the six-team events from the conference’s nexus in Southern California.
“The continued partnership and strong support from HTA are vital reasons for these championships being brought to Hawaii,” Butterly said.
HTA is the presenting sponsor and Outrigger Hotels and Resorts is the title sponsor for the Hawaii tournaments. Outrigger is also the title sponsor of the 2023 women’s tournament at the Walter Pyramid next month.
It was a welcome day for coach Charlie Wade, whose program has been the league’s most dominant in the conference since the BWC began sponsoring men’s volleyball in 2018. The Rainbow Warriors have three BWC tournament titles and have an 8-2 record in BWC tournament games.
UH has hosted three of the five BWC men’s volleyball championships to date and has proven it can sell out the 10,300-seat Sheriff, the largest venue in the conference.
“This relationship I think has been positive for everybody,” Wade said. “It’s great for the student-athletes to come and to play in a sold-out 10,000-seat arena, to showcase all the efforts and competing for championships as we have. It’s just a great opportunity.”
The 2019 Big West final between UH and LBSU was a memorable sellout at the Sheriff. No fans were allowed in 2021 due to the COVID-19 threat. The 2022 final between the rivals drew an official 6,636, UH’s largest crowd to that point as fans gradually returned from pandemic restrictions.
By comparison, the men’s championships held elsewhere, UH-LBSU at the Pyramid (2,325) in 2018 and UH-UC Irvine at the Bren Events Center (4,064) in 2023, drew far fewer.
“I’ve played in the Stan for a couple of the Big West championships and the energy has been unmatched anywhere else I’ve played,” said Rainbow Warrior hitter Chaz Galloway, who will get to play one more there for his upcoming senior year. “The energy and the atmosphere here that the fans bring, it brings out the best in players.”
Butterly acknowledged the Sheriff environment and turnout as a factor in the event’s quick return.
“It’s a tremendous atmosphere and a loud crowd, and obviously great support for the broadcast side as well with Spectrum (Sports) here in Hawaii,” Butterly said. “It really raises the bar for how we want to host Big West championships in the future.”
However, UH’s storied women’s volleyball program, with one of the largest fan bases of any Division I programs in the country, will have to wait its turn. After Long Beach hosts the BWC women’s tournament this year, UC Irvine gets it in 2024 and it heads back to LBSU for 2025.
Rainbow Wahine assistant coach Kaleo Baxter was on hand Friday to represent the program. He said he was confident UH administration was doing everything it could to host.
“I think every school that has the ability to host will want to do it as much as possible,” Baxter said. “But in the words of my boss (Robyn Ah Mow), it is what it is. And we will go wherever to play whoever. But we’re excited for 2026 and looking forward to it.”
Butterly said women’s tournament sites beyond 2026 have yet to be decided. Baxter was asked if it was reasonable to expect UH be the host once every few years.
“I think the expectation and the want would be to host every single year,” Baxter replied. “Giving these student-athletes – not only our own, but at other institutions – the ability to play in a real championship environment, I think is important for our sport.”
Butterly told Spectrum News that sites have yet to be decided for the inaugural Big West baseball and softball tournaments in 2025, but that UH is in consideration for hosting.
He said during the press conference that the league uses a request for proposals process for determining hosting for the six sports of men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s volleyball, baseball and softball.
The commissioner also announced Friday that UH will also host Big West championships in men’s and women’s cross country in 2025, women’s golf in 2025, and beach volleyball in 2027.
Butterly was to attend the UH men’s basketball preseason exhibition against No. 23 Saint Mary’s at the Sheriff Center at 7 p.m. Friday. Net proceeds for the game will go to Maui wildfire relief efforts, UH has said.
Brian McInnis covers the state's sports scene for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at brian.mcinnis@charter.com.