College football tournament names MVP award after pioneering Hawaii athletics director

By Alfred Acenas
(Eagle News Service)

HONOLULU – The EasyPost Hawaii Bowl has renamed its Most Valuable Player (MVP) award after Hugh Yoshida, a former University of Hawaii (UH) Athletics Director (AD) who was instrumental in the creation of the said bowl game with ESPN back in 2002.

The Hawaii Bowl Foundation made the announcement on Tuesday, December 20, in recognition of Yoshida’s accomplishments and service in the Islands.

Hawaii Bowl Founder and Executive Committee Chairman Hugh Yoshida became the nation’s first Division-I Athletics Director of Japanese-American descent during his tenure at the University of Hawaii from 1993 to 2002. (Photo Courtesy EasyPost Hawaii Bowl)

Yoshida became the nation’s first-ever Division-I Athletics Director of Japanese-American descent when he served at UH from 1993 to 2002. During his tenure, he was instrumental in the funding of the Nagatani Academic Center while outsourcing the department’s academic services to the College of Arts and Sciences, both of which saw the immediate rise in academic success of Hawaii’s student-athletes.

Today, Yoshida serves as the Secretary of the Hawaii Bowl Foundation and the Chair of the Hawaii Bowl Executive Committee, helping to steer over $1.6 million to local charities since its inception.

The top player from the EasyPost Hawaii Bowl between San Diego State (SDSU) and Middle Tennessee State (MTSU) will receive the Hugh Yoshida Most Valuable Player Award.

Located on the University of Hawaii Mānoa Campus in Honolulu, the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex has served as a temporary home for the school’s Division-I football team, as Aloha Stadium is scheduled for demolition and new construction sometime in 2023. (Photo Courtesy University of Hawaii)

Also beginning this year, only one MVP award will be honored, compared to previous tournaments, in which an MVP for each team was recognized.

Winners of five of their last seven games, the San Diego State Aztecs (7-5, 5-3) tied for second in the West Division of the Mountain West, while the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (7-5, 4-4) won four of their last five to tie for fourth in Conference USA.

Despite making their second appearances in the annual football tournament, both teams will be meeting for the first time.

The 19th edition of the Hawaii Bowl will be played on Saturday, December 24 at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex on the University of Hawaii Mānoa campus in Honolulu.

The Hawaii Bowl was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

(Eagle News Service)