Three days after finalizing a five-year contract extension, University of Hawaii football coach Timmy Chang and the Rainbow Warriors continued preparations Tuesday for the 2026 season opener at Stanford.
Hawaii held a closed practice at Iolani School, moving off campus to work on a natural grass surface ahead of Saturday’s game against the Cardinal at Stanford Stadium.
The Rainbow Warriors enter the season with heightened expectations after generating significant buzz during the offseason. Hawaii is seeking its first season-opening road victory against a power-conference opponent since defeating Oregon in Eugene in 1992.
“There’s definitely a sense of urgency, excitement,” Chang said. “Whether you’re coaching or you’re playing, you still get all those good juices and that good feel. It’s just a different focus, and it’s a fun time.”
Chang said the team must now translate its offseason work into execution.
“These guys really got after it,” he said. “We got to be sharper as coaches. We got to be sharper with the fundamentals and our technique and go out there and execute it.”
Sophomore quarterback Micah Alejado, who enters his second season as Hawaii’s starting quarterback, said the team’s preparation since January has created confidence heading into the opener.
“It’s exciting. We’re anxious,” Alejado said. “The work that we put in and the progress that has happened since January, the team is excited. … Our guys are ready, and I can’t wait to get on that plane and strap it up on Saturday.”
Senior linebacker Jamih Otis said the Rainbow Warriors have established higher expectations for themselves entering the season.
“We hold ourselves to a higher expectation this year,” Otis said. “From top down, from the coaches to the players, we just want ourselves to serve a certain standard.”
Chang said the next step is putting that preparation to work on game day.
“They put themselves in position to succeed, and so they worked really hard,” Chang said. “I’m proud of how they worked. But now it’s time to go and execute and go have fun, but put ourselves in a position to go win these games.”
Saturday’s kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. Hawaii time. The game will be televised nationally on the ACC Network and broadcast locally on ESPN Honolulu.
Hawaii was listed as a four-point underdog as of Tuesday.
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