University of Hawai’i athletics leadership asked state lawmakers to approve a $5 million annual NIL fund.

At the hearing Wednesday, Nov. 12, UH argued that the future of Hawai’i athletics depends on the university’s ability to pay and retain its student-athletes. Athletic Director Matt Elliott told the committee that UH could fall behind as mainland programs build their NIL budgets. The $5 million request, he said, is not an attempt to compete with powerhouse schools but the minimum UH needs to avoid losing players it has already invested in. 

“With that kind of funding as a foundation, we believe we can be extremely competitive,” Elliott said. “If we put the focus on retaining and recruiting elite student athletes, it gives us a chance to be successful.”

NIL allows college athletes to earn money from sponsorships, endorsements, appearances, and personal branding. Elliott explained that under new NCAA rules, schools can now provide institutional NIL. This gives UH a formal way to support athletes instead of depending on private donations.

UH coaches told lawmakers that NIL has quickly become the deciding factor in whether athletes stay or leave. Women’s basketball coach Laura Beeman said she has lost multiple players to stronger NIL offers, and needs around $450,000 to maintain a competitive roster.

“We have to pay them. If we don’t, we will lose them,” Beeman said. “These young women want to represent Hawai’i.”

Football head coach Timmy Chang said the transfer portal has intensified the competition. Once a UH player performs well, he said, other programs move fast with NIL offers that UH can’t currently match. “NIL has changed the landscape,” Chang said.

Throughout the hearing, UH leaders emphasized that local athletes are at the heart of their request. Local athletes form the identity of UH sports but are often the first to be recruited away.

UH has raised roughly $1.5 million through private support and programs like Boost The Bows, but Elliott said private giving alone cannot sustain a competitive model. The proposed $5 million would create a steady base for NIL across all sports, relieving coaches from constant fundraising.

Athletics is also focused on helping athletes handle the responsibilities that come with NIL. They have added financial-literacy and tax-education programs to help students understand contracts, payments, and personal finances. 

They also plan to launch a public NIL information hub on the UH athletics website in December, where fans or businesses can learn how to support athletes directly through NIL partnerships or donations.

At the hearing, the message was clear: without NIL funding, the university risks losing the players who most represent the islands and its values.

“College athletics has changed,” Chang said, “And we’re trying to change with it.”