Aloha Pacific and the University of Hawai’i have signed a 10-year deal to build a new esports arena. In early January 2026, the deal was made public. Aloha Pacific is a business in Honolulu that deals with commercial real estate and investments. The goal of the partnership is to help competitive gaming and related programs grow at the university.
Aloha Pacific will help pay for a new esports facility on the UH Mānoa campus as part of the deal. The arena should help students and people in the community by giving them a place to practice, compete, and hold events. The partnership lasts for ten years, which is one of the longest corporate support commitments for esports in the area.
The arena project is part of a larger plan to add more esports events at the university. Leaders at UH have noticed that more and more students are interested in gaming and digital competition. The facility is planned to include advanced gaming stations, spectator seating, and infrastructure for streaming and events. It will also have training areas where student teams can get ready for competitions with other colleges.
In addition to Aloha Pacific’s investment, there will be other resources, such as money from universities and fundraising. The company said that esports is a growing area that fits with trends in technology, education, and entertainment. As part of the deal, Aloha Pacific will be able to name the new arena for the whole time it is open.
The deal also talks about how to get the community involved. The arena will hold local esports tournaments, workshops, and outreach programs that will get not only UH students but also young gamers from all over O‘ahu and the rest of the Hawaiian Islands involved, according to officials. These events should help people learn how to work together, think strategically, and use digital media.
The partnership is in line with what is happening in higher education as a whole, where colleges and universities are putting money into esports as both a sport and an academic pursuit. Esports teams from the University of Hawaii play against other colleges in both regional and national leagues. The new arena will give these efforts a place to call home.
At the time of the announcement, the full construction schedule and detailed cost estimates were not made public. Representatives from the University and Aloha Pacific said that planning is already in the works and that the community will be involved. The ten-year deal is a big step forward for Hawaii’s esports infrastructure and shows that the university and the private sector are committed to working together for a long time.
Source: https://hoodline.com/2026/01/aloha-pacific-bets-big-on-uh-with-10-year-esports-arena-deal/
