If you didn't think Hawaii and UNLV were football rivals before, it's officially official now. Starting this weekend, Hawaii and UNLV will play annually for the Island Showdown Trophy. It's a pineapple! The Ninth Island name is in reference to Las Vegas having a long-standing relationship with Hawaii visitors and transplants over the years.
Hawaii might be the conference leader in trophy games. It has trophies on the line in games vs. Air Force (Kuter Trophy), Wyoming (Paniolo Trophy), and now UNLV. Ironically, the one team that would probably be viewed as Hawaii's primary rival, Fresno State, doesn't have an official trophy for the game.