Aloha Stadium deemed unsafe, facing condemnation

Aloha Stadium, the home of the University of Hawaii’s football team and the former host of the NFL Pro Bowl could be closing down for good. Once an iconic stadium that packed more than 50,000 football fans, Hawaii’s football stadium is now being shut down.

Just a few days after the Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors beat UNLV at Aloha Stadium, they are looking for a new home with Aloha Stadium in a moratorium.

NFL news: Aloha Stadium too unsafe for crowds, shut down indefinitely

For years, some of the NFL’s biggest stars traveled to Halawa, Hawaii, to enjoy a week of relaxation with their families and hang out at the Pro Bowl.

From 1980-2009, Aloha Stadium served as the home of the NFL Pro Bowl. Across nearly three decades, it hosted thousands of iconic players with some of the greats in NFL history competing in the scrimmage game. The Pro Bowl returned to Hawaii from 2011-’14 and then in 2016, but hasn’t gone back since.

According to KHOU2’s Christian Shmabuku, state officials have now deemed Aloha Stadium to be unsafe for crowds of any manner. The structure is now facing condemnation, with an indefinite moratorium placed on the stadium until further notice.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Rainbow Warriors have played at Aloha Stadium this season without any fans in attendance. The team concluded its regular season on Dec. 12, potentially bringing its tenure in Aloha Stadium to an end.

Built in 1975, Aloha Stadium has rapidly deteriorated over the years. The NFL moved its All-Star Game away from Hawaii in 2016, taking advantage of a better offer from Orlando, Florida. It moved the 2021 Pro Bowl to Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, but the COVID-19 pandemic led to the game being canceled.

Hawaii is currently planning to build a new stadium, but work isn’t expected to be completed until 2023 at the earliest. As a result, the Rainbow Warriors will head into 2021 without a home next fall.