Hawaii business leader Walter Dods is backing University of Hawaii athletics with big money, framing it as a win for the whole islands community rather than charity.

• Dods, former chairman of First Hawaiian Bank, pulled together $5 million for UH athletics in a week — three companies and two individuals each pledging $1 million over five years.
• His argument: with no pro team in Hawaii, UH is the islands' pro team, and sports bind the community together.
• He credits new athletic director Matt Elliott and the new university president for the program's turnaround.
• The temporary stadium, built after the new one stalled, is praised as a gutsy stopgap — but it is too small to be permanent.
• NIL money has changed college sports, and the choice was to sit out or compete; Hawaii chose to compete.

Outlook: Expect more private fundraising pushes for UH athletics while the permanent stadium question stays unresolved.