Oregon-Hawaii football game is off -- officially

Ducks won't play at Hawaii in 2024... 2031 game also up in air.

Oregon and Hawaii played during the 2023 season in Eugene. (Photo: Tim Healy)

Oregon won’t be making the trip to Hawaii next college football season. The Ducks and Rainbow Warriors have officially agreed to cancel the game that was scheduled for Aug. 24 on the islands.

“It’s off,” said an athletic department source in Eugene.

Hawaii athletic director Craig Angelos confirmed the cancellation as well, indicating that UO asked to drop the game to help balance its 2024 schedule. The Ducks will move to the Big Ten Conference next season and still want to play rival Oregon State in a non-conference game.

The Hawaii-Oregon game was supposed to be the season opener in 2024. It’s still listed on the school’s website, but definitely won’t happen, per the sides. The Ducks will instead open the season at home vs. Idaho on Aug. 31.

“We’re working with Oregon on some future options,” Angelos said. “We’re not certain yet if the (2024) game is off the schedule for good or if we’re going to push it back to a future date.”

Hawaii played at Autzen Stadium last September, a 55-10 Oregon win. The Rainbow Warriors are still scheduled to return to Eugene in 2031. The 2031 game is also up in the air, per Angelos. Both could end up canceled with UH receiving a financial payment.

Meanwhile, Hawaii is immersed in an ongoing stadium conundrum on the islands. Aloha Stadium, the long-time home of UH football, was closed in 2020 due to safety concerns. The football program currently plays home games in a 15,000-seat temporary stadium on campus.

“It’s a fine stadium,” said Angelos. “We have suites. It’s functional, but not where we want to be forever. We need to improve some areas such as visiting locker rooms.”

Lawmakers and campus officials have proposed the New Aloha Stadium Entertainment District (NASED) — a 73-acre development that would include a football stadium with a minimum of 25,000 seats. The project is currently seeking development bids.

The New Aloha Stadium Entertainment District plan will allow a single entity to develop, build, operate, and maintain the stadium while receiving rights to mixed-use development in the surrounding area.

Optimists have targeted the 2028 football season opener vs. Kansas as the new Aloha Stadium’s first game. Pessimists are waiting for a developer to emerge who is willing to take on the $400 million undertaking.

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