Mountain West football realignment interrupts University of Hawaii rivalries

Select an option below to continue reading this premium story.

Already a Honolulu Star-Advertiser subscriber? Log in now to continue reading.

Get unlimited access

From as low as $12.95 /mo.

Subscribe Now

For three decades and two conferences, Hawaii and Fresno State have been the best of college-football foes.

Fresno State’s quarterback brothers David Carr and Derek Carr tormented the Rainbow Warriors.

In 1999, UH earned a share of the Western Athletic Conference title with a double-overtime victory.

Two years later, UH’s Nick Rolovich lofted the winning pass to Ashley Lelie with 13 seconds left.

UH secured a victory on Tua Mahaley’s block of a field-goal attempt in 2008, and in 2016, Viane Moala’s block as time expired preserved the Warriors’ 14-13 road victory.

The Warriors posted upsets of the Bulldogs the past two seasons.

Don't miss out on what's happening!

Stay in touch with top news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It's FREE!

By clicking to sign up, you agree to Star-Advertiser's and Google's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. This form is protected by reCAPTCHA.

But after the teams meet for the 31st year in a row on Nov. 5 in Fresno, Calif., the series will be put on pause for a year as part of the Mountain West’s new schedule rotation.

Beginning with the 2023 season, the 12-team Mountain West, of which UH is a football-only member, will scrap the format of two six-team divisions and have just one division through 2025. Instead of Mountain and West division winners meeting in the title game, the championship will match the two teams with the highest winning percentages.

The new format means UH will not face a current West member in each season of that three-year span. UH will not play Fresno State in 2023. The schools will resume the rivalry in 2024.

The UH-San Jose State rivalry will pause in 2024 after 11 seasons. Hawaii will not face Nevada in 2025 after playing each other 24 years in a row.

UH will play San Diego State and UNLV all three seasons.

The new format appears to be timed to the end of the Mountain West’s television contracts with Fox Sports and CBS Sports.

The schedule is subject to alteration if the league’s composition changes.

Warriors vs. MWC

Hawaii’s Mountain West Conference football schedule rotation for the next three seasons.

2023

>> Home: Air Force, Colorado State, San Diego State, San Jose State

>> Away: Nevada, New Mexico, UNLV, Wyoming

2024

>> Home: Boise State, Nevada, New Mexico, UNLV

>> Away: Air Force, Fresno State, San Diego State, Utah State

2025

>> Home: Fresno State, San Diego State, Utah State, Wyoming

>> Away: Boise State, Colorado State, San Jose State, UNLV