The Hawaii soccer program will once again play all its home games at the Waipio Peninsula Soccer Complex for the 2025 season, extending the wait for on-campus matches for another year.
The University of Hawaii (UH) unveiled its full 20-game schedule on Friday, confirming that none of the 10 home contests will take place at the new venue under construction on the former Cooke Field at the Manoa Lower Campus.
Head coach Michele Nagamine had expressed hopes of hosting day games on campus this season but faced delays in the construction timeline.
Regarding the venue’s readiness, Nagamine noted that grass was planted only recently in May and anticipated that the team would not be able to train on it until September, a month into the season.
“We’re gonna just kind of roll with it until the field is ready, and when it is ready to play on we will get on it, and I will be the first one to bend down, drop to my knees and kiss the grass,” Nagamine told Spectrum News.
“I will be so happy, because this has been a long time coming.”
The track and field program had the opportunity to preview the $30 million relocation project, which is intended to replace their previous facilities at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex.
Significant work remains, including adding bleachers to the Cooke Field area and installing lights for nighttime games, which appears to be a distant prospect.
In the meantime, UH, coming off its first Big West regular-season championship with a record of 12-8-1 (8-1-1 Big West in 2024), has had to make logistical adjustments due to the NCAA’s decision to begin the soccer season a week earlier.
Nagamine revealed that bringing teams to Hawaii on just a six-month notice posed challenges, which led to the Rainbow Wahine accepting a guarantee game offer from Big West rival Long Beach State.
As a result, UH will face the 49ers twice this season, starting with a nonconference game on August 14.
“Opening on the road is never really ideal, but heck, we’ll take it,” Nagamine stated.
She added, “If we get games like Long Beach and Pepperdine and really try to prep our young players for travel and build some perspective there, yeah, it’s big time.”
This upcoming season will also mark a significant transition, as UH and UC Davis are set to leave the Big West to become full members of the Mountain West in the summer of 2026.
Despite losing their standout Defensive Player of the Year, Jacey Jicha, the Rainbow Wahine retain key players like Nalani Damacion, the Big West Midfielder of the Year, and Kennedy Justin, the Goalkeeper of the Year.
Also returning are all-conference defender Alice Davidson and forwards Amber Gilbert and Cate Sheahan, all of whom contribute to hopes for continued success.
The nonconference schedule notably features Oregon from the Big Ten, as part of the Outrigger Soccer Kickoff on August 24.
As excitement builds for the 2025 season, here is the complete UH soccer schedule:
* — Big West Conference match
Aug. 14 — at Long Beach State
Aug. 17 — at Pepperdine
Aug. 21 — Central Arkansas
Aug. 24 — Oregon
Aug. 28 — Northern Arizona
Aug. 31 — Cal Baptist
Sept. 4 — at Sacramento State
Sept. 7 — at Saint Mary’s
Sept. 11 — Eastern Washington
Sept. 18 — at Long Beach State*
Sept. 21 — at San Diego State
Sept. 28 — UC Santa Barbara*
Oct. 2 — at Cal State Fullerton*
Oct. 5 — at UC Riverside*
Oct. 9 — Cal Poly*
Oct. 12 — UC San Diego*
Oct. 16 — Cal State Northridge*
Oct. 23 — at UC Davis*
Oct. 26 — at Cal State Bakersfield*
Oct. 30 — UC Irvine*
image source from：https://spectrumlocalnews.com/hi/hawaii/sports/2025/06/08/hawaii-soccer-schedule-release-2025-no-on-campus-games-2025
