The game featured the then-Hawaii Rainbows and, usually, an invited team from the Pacific Coast Conference.
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.
[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".