The UH athletics program is a member of the Big West Conference in most sports and competes at the NCAA Division I level.

"[6][7] More recently, the women's beach volleyball team, while still officially "Rainbow Wāhine," generally uses "SandBows" (now colloquially known as BeachBows).

The Hawaiʻi men's teams competed as independents until joining the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) in 1979.

[8] In July 2012, most of the school's teams moved from the WAC to the women's former league, the Big West Conference.

[11] In October 2024, Hawai’i announced that it will be joining the Mountain West Conference as a full member in 2026.

In 2015, the university self-imposed penalties as a result of NCAA violations committed by the previous coaching staff that included vacating 36 wins from the 2012–13 and 2013–14 seasons, reducing scholarships and practice time, and placing itself on one-year probation.

The team, which is currently coached by Timmy Chang, joined the Mountain West Conference in July 2012.

The team is one of the most successful women's volleyball programs in the country having won 4 national championships (3 NCAA, 1 AIAW).

[18] The creation of the first Rainbow Wāhine teams at the University of Hawaiʻi is the subject of the documentary film Rise of the Wahine, directed by Dean Kaneshiro.

[19] Rise of the Wāhine features the struggles of these first women's teams after the passing of Title IX and the film highlights the roles of coaches Alan Kang and Dave Shoji, first female Athletic Director Dr. Donnis Thompson, Patsy Mink, and first-teams volleyball players Beth McLachlin, Marilyn Moniz-Kaho`ohanonaho, Joyce Kapua`ala, and Joey Akeo.