Stephen Tsai: Forget the lectures, just vote yes or no when it comes to financial assistance for UH

This is final-exam week for the University of Hawaii.

This is what we’ve learned:

Let’s say you ask your uncle for $500 to help pay for the bare minimum in car repairs.

Of course, he wants to help his brother’s kid. No problem. But first he suggests each putting $500 into a CD and then drawing off the interest of, maybe, $50 every year. And then he wants to talk about how a Japanese-manufactured car is more fuel efficient than your clunker. And, of course, he wonders why you need a car for work anyway. And would you settle for $120?

And the lectures go on and on for a couple of months before Uncle says, “Well, just talked it over with my family, and we decided not to give you any money.”

And that’s what happens when the University of Hawaii asks for financial assistance to help compete in this age of name-image-likeness compensation for players.

Oh, many State Senators appear to be sympathetic. Many even understand the economic impact of UH sports from the reports lawmakers requested. Several have expressed crocodile cheers over the Rainbow Warrior volleyball team. But when it comes to writing a check, State Senators are like, “Oh, wait, I can’t find a pen. Maybe next time.” Even if the amended measure is the one they proposed.

In the past few years, UH officials were summoned to hearings to explain college athletics. They brought charts and studies showing the new landscape where players can be paid. They explained how the House vs. NCAA settlement requires Division I programs to pay up to $20.5 million annually to players in NIL compensation. They show how they have squeezed every nickel out of donors, sponsors and season-ticket subscribers to remain competitive at a time when, through the state’s fault, the football team does not have a permanent home venue (or grass practice field).

This year, UH requested $5 million from state lawmakers with the intent of providing NIL payments to players. It is a fraction of power teams’ NIL budgets. The $5 million also represents only 0.025% of the state’s budget. After all the negotiating, the measure was reduced to, at the minimum, $1.5 million being allotted for NIL funding. On Friday, that proposal died in a Senate vote.

Elected officials are intelligent, mostly service-oriented, and mindful and protective of public money. It’s their fiduciary duty to dispense funds appropriately. Some opponents of the UH request do not like the NIL reality. A couple appear to have a giddy feeling of schadenfreude in rejecting UH. And at least one lawmaker always uses the default of basing decisions on constituents’ objections. “Casinos? Constituents don’t want them in Hawaii.” (Which is odd, because say “Las Vegas” near a group of seniors and half will drool like Pavlov’s dog.)

After coming away empty this legislative session, the moral is this: Approve the request, don’t approve the request. But spare the lectures and misguided suggestions.

Give credit to UH basketball head coach Eran Ganot for navigating an evolving college basketball landscape. He filled the past season’s schedule despite the hiatus of the 2025 Diamond Head Classic. He lost players to the transfer portal, then found replacements who led the Rainbow Warriors to the 2026 NCAA Tournament.

Since the end of the season, Ganot and recruiting coordinator Gibson Johnson rebuilt the roster around incumbent guards Tanner Cuff and Isaiah Kerr. They filled all five positions with players with size, skill and experience — and they did it before the demand skyrocketed.

After losing offensive coordinator Brad Davidson to USC and defensive coach Rob Jones to Saint Mary’s, Ganot hired back Adam Jacobsen and John Montgomery. Both served as associate head coaches during their previous UH stints. Jacobsen is known for his offensive creativity; Montgomery as a defensive specialist. Ganot also promoted Johnson from assistant coach to associate head coach. And Ganot hired former UH standout Noah Allen as assistant coach to a staff that already includes assistant coach Clay Wilson, director of player development Juan Munoz, graduate manager Jake Nishimura and general manager Patty Mills. Ganot has heralded Wilson as a “future head coach.” Johnson, Allen and Munoz are UH graduates.

Because of an obsession with thoroughness and diligence, Ganot has a reputation for taking time to finalize decisions. But like his new quick-paced offense, Ganot has identified the program’s needs and worked expeditiously to fill them. In this college basketball era, timing is everything.

With a week remaining in the Big West’s regular season for baseball, UC Santa Barbara and Cal Poly are tied for first place. Six others are contending for the final three spots of the five-team Big West Tournament.

Through 2024, the Big West was the last holdout for a postseason conference tournament for baseball. The thought was the regular season was to be valued. Besides, there was the confidence the league did not need a tournament to send multiple teams to the regionals.

But that also meant that a team could have two bad weekends to start league play, rendering the rest of the season meaningless. Where’s the motivation — and interest — for a fifth-place team in late April?

Last year, the Big West launched its inaugural postseason tournament. It provided the drama of the Rainbow Warriors’ clinching the fifth berth on the final day of the regular season. Second seed Cal Poly defeated No. 1 UC Irvine to earn the league’s automatic berth in the 2025 NCAA Tournament. UCI received an at-large berth.

This year, there is drama with Hawaii and Cal State Fullerton tied for fourth. Even eighth-place Cal State Fullerton has a slim shot if it sweeps UH this week at Les Murakami Stadium.

The Big West got it right. Too bad UH and UC Davis are departing for the Mountain West on July 1. UC San Diego and UC Santa Barbara are leaving following the 2026-27 academic year. Timing, as always, is everything.