No major-college program travels more miles to play road games than Hawaii, and this season the Rainbow Warriors are taking it to the extreme.
With games already in the books in Sydney, Australia, and Ann Arbor, Michigan, Hawaii has traveled more than 19,000 miles three weeks into the season. Arizona, meanwhile, has traveled 262 miles – to and from University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale.
Hawaii will rack up 46,568 frequent-flyer miles over the course of seven 2016 road trips, according to the UH sports information department. Arizona’s four trips will encompass approximately 3,300 miles — shorter than any individual UH excursion.
The Rainbow Warriors will play in four times zones this season after being the only FBS team to play in five last season (when they traveled 40,125 miles by air).
Hawaii is used to it, of course. The players and coaches have no choice but to try to embrace their unique travel challenges. Sydney and Ann Arbor in a span of nine days — what other college team gets to see the world like that during the season?
“It was tiring, but also just looking at it from a different perspective, it was really fun,” UH defensive end Makani Kema-Kaleiwahea said. “Growing up, a lot of us haven’t even traveled before. For some of my teammates, it was their first time leaving the island.
“So it’s just really fun to experience that with all my teammates, and we made some memories that will last for a lifetime.”
