| Poi Bowl (defunct) | |
|---|---|
| Stadium | Honolulu Stadium |
| Location | Honolulu, Hawaii |
| Operated | 1936–1939 |
| Conference tie-ins | Pacific Coast Conference |
| Succeeded by | Pineapple Bowl |
The Poi Bowl was a college football bowl game played during the late 1930s in Honolulu, Hawaii, at Honolulu Stadium. The game featured the then-Hawaii Rainbows and, usually, an invited team from the Pacific Coast Conference.
The game was contested in early January from 1936 to 1939. The bowl was named after poi, a traditional taro-based staple food in Polynesia, on suggestion from Vernon "Red" McQueen, sports editor of The Honolulu Advertiser.[1] In December 1938, the contest was renamed as the Pineapple Bowl at the request of the University of Hawaii at Manoa.[1]
The university invited teams from the Pacific Coast Conference to participate in the Poi Bowl every year except for 1937, when they played a local all-star team.[2] The game was normally contested on New Year's Day, except in 1939 when the holiday fell on a Sunday, and by mutual agreement of the teams in 1937 due to heavy rain.[3]
For the 1937 game, Hawaii's opponent was to be determined by a Christmas Day contest between Kamehameha alumni and the "Town Team".[4] However, when that game ended in a tie, an all-star roster of players from those two teams was selected.[5]
The University of Hawaii went 1–3 in the Poi Bowl.[6]
| Date | Winner | Loser | Attendance | Ref. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1, 1936 | USC | 38 | Hawaii | 6 | 18,000 | [7] |
| January 2, 1937 | Hawaii | 18 | Honolulu All-Stars | 12 | 5,000 | [8] |
| January 1, 1938 | Washington | 53 | Hawaii | 13 | 13,000 | [9] |
| January 2, 1939 | UCLA | 32 | Hawaii | 7 | 18,000 | [10] |
While NCAA records indicate the January 1939 edition was staged as the Poi Bowl,[11] contemporary newspaper reports indicate it was held under the Pineapple Bowl name.[1][12]
The media guide of the now-Hawaii Rainbow Warriors football program does not include any Poi Bowl games in their bowl game history.[13] Results do appear in the NCAA's bowl game history, in the "Unsanctioned Or Other Bowls" section.[11]
