UH sports study estimates $753M in economic activity
· Yahoo Sports
The University of Hawaii at Manoa athletics program generated an estimated $752.9 million in economic activity between fiscal years 2023 and 2026, according to a new study that Gov. Josh Green cited Thursday in making the case for additional investment in the university’s sports programs.
Visit playerbros.org for more information.
The study, conducted by Collegiate Consulting and funded by private donors, estimates that UH athletics generated an average of $188.2 million in economic activity annually and supported approximately 1,242 jobs in Hawaii in fiscal year 2025.
But the report measures broader economic activity associated with athletics, not the program’s profitability or its return on investment — a distinction that comes as state leaders discuss investing more money in UH athletics and stadium infrastructure.
“If you can get return on investment like that, you’ve got to do it,” Green said during Thursday’s press conference, arguing that additional investment could help UH compete with universities that spend heavily on athletes and generate substantial revenue through national television exposure.
Green said the analysis suggested a return of at least two to one for every dollar invested in improving athletics and expanding media exposure.
The study’s findings, however, do not themselves establish that rate of return. UH’s announcement explicitly states that the analysis examines economic contributions rather than financial profitability or return on investment.
The study attributes the $752.9 million to four categories: $351.3 million from athletic events and other activities, $184.9 million from athletics employees and student-athletes, $146.4 million from athletics revenue and $70.3 million from athletic facility construction.
The figures include direct spending and additional economic activity generated as money circulates through the
local economy. Event-related spending includes money spent by fans, visiting teams and other visitors, while the employee and student-athlete category includes salaries and personal spending.
UH retained Collegiate Consulting in February 2026 to conduct the analysis. The firm examined university financial and attendance data, estimated spending by fans and visitors, and applied economic models to calculate broader activity associated with athletics.
UH athletics operates on an annual budget of approximately $66 million, supported by athletics-generated revenue, private contributions, university funding, student fees and other sources.
Athletics Director Matt Elliott described several areas where UH wants to invest, including competing in the Mountain West Conference, developing new sponsorship opportunities and using name, image and likeness payments to recruit and retain student-athletes.
Elliott cited jersey-patch sponsorships as one example of a new revenue opportunity and said investment in athletes could help them remain at UH, graduate and become future leaders in the state.
The program has about 500 student-athletes competing on 21 teams and is Hawaii’s only NCAA Division I athletics program.
Green said he believes UH has not invested enough directly in growing its athletics program and argued that additional funding could help the university avoid falling behind other schools.
He also pointed to the planned stadium as an important investment, saying a first-class facility would allow Hawaii to showcase its teams and the state to larger audiences.
Green said the state could explore additional ways to invest taxpayer money in athletics infrastructure while generating revenue to address Hawaii’s broader affordability concerns.
The governor also suggested that public support for UH sports would help build support among lawmakers for further investment.
The study estimates that athletics generated $1.73 billion in advertising-equivalent media exposure during the four-year period, including $775.5 million from local
and national television broadcasts.
Those figures assign a dollar value to media coverage using advertising rates and audience estimates. They do not represent actual revenue, advertising savings or
a direct financial benefit to UH, according to the university’s announcement.
The university said the exposure could raise awareness of UH and Hawaii among national audiences, potentially contributing to tourism, student recruitment and other opportunities.
UH athletics operates on an annual budget of about $66 million, supported partly by university funding and student fees. While the study estimates $752.9 million in economic activity over four years, it does not calculate the amount of state tax revenue generated or compare the economic activity with the public cost of supporting the program.
Green nevertheless cited the findings as evidence of a strong return on investment, claiming that every dollar invested could generate at least $2 in benefits.