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The University of Hawai'i began playing football at Aloha Stadium in 1975 and is its biggest customer.
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By Kevin Dayton
Advertiser Capitol Bureau Chief
Gov. Ben Cayetano is ready for the University of Hawai‘i to take over Aloha Stadium and make it a more profitable enterprise.
The stadium is now attached to the state Department of Accounting and General Services, and is overseen by an 11-member panel appointed by the governor.
Cayetano said that entity doesn’t have much interest in the operation, so UH would be better suited to make a profit beyond the $800,000 its football team pays each year.
The UH football team is the stadium’s biggest customer, Cayetano said. The Rainbows made their debut at the 104-acre, 50,000-seat stadium in 1975.
The operation is profitable today, and "the stadium authority has done a decent job. It can be better."
UH Athletic Director Hugh Yoshida and UH football coach June Jones proposed the switch to Cayetano, and UH President Kenneth Mortimer supports the idea, Cayetano said.
"I think from what I’ve seen, they can do it. They are following the lead of other universities throughout the country who have really maximized the use of their stadiums and brought in more revenue," Cayetano said.
Cayetano said Oregon State University was able to raise $15 million through advertising agreements, and "that’s the kind of stuff that we have to do."
He joked about possible new names for the stadium: "How about Sony Aloha Stadium? That might bring in a few bucks."
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