Hawai’i Bowl Canceled After COVID-19 Issues in the Rainbow Warriors Program

Hawai’i announced on Thursday that the team will not play against Memphis in the Hawai’i Bowl on Friday due to COVID-19 issues in the Rainbow Warriors program.

“We are disappointed our season has to end this way,” Hawai’i head coach Todd Graham said. “As competitive as we are and as much as we want to play the game, we cannot put the health and safety of our student-athletes at risk.”

The Rainbow Warriors were planning to make their 10th appearance in Friday’s bowl game. The news com after the Rainbow Warriors were deemed eligible for a bowl when the NCAA added a one-time replacement bowl game for this year's bowl season. The Division I Football Oversight Committee approved a request to waive the April 1 bowl game certification application on Dec. 2, which created a 42nd bowl game for all 84-bowl eligible teams to participate. Hawai’i (6–7) was among the bowl-eligible teams after the approved change because the Rainbow Warriors played in 13 regular season games and finished with six wins. 

Hawai’i athletic director David Martin said in a statement that the Hawai‘i Bowl staff did everything it could for the program to participate in the game throughout the week.