UH has partnership in mind to keep bowl game here

By Stephen Tsai and Ferd Lewis
Advertiser Staff Writers

The University of Hawai'i is interested in exploring the possibility of a partnership that would keep one of the two college football bowl games in the state, school officials said.

"A partnership is something I think we'd like to look at to see if there is some way we could maintain a bowl presence here," said Hugh Yoshida, UH athletic director.

Aloha Sports Inc., which operates the games, is negotiating to move the 19-year-old Aloha Bowl to San Francisco and the 3-year-old O'ahu Bowl to Seattle this season.

The Warriors stand to be among the biggest losers if both the Aloha and O'ahu bowls move out of Aloha Stadium. UH and the bowls have had a handshake agreement that the Warriors would receive an invitation if they win a majority of their games to become bowl-eligible. But that agreement would be at risk if both the games move out of state.

"If the Aloha Bowl is interested, I think that would make for a natural partnership," Yoshida said. "I think there are some things we might be able to do or help with to generate attendance."

Yoshida said, "I think it is something we should look at in the way of numbers to see if it might be feasible."

"We're open to talking with anybody," said Fritz Rohlfing, chief executive officer of Aloha Sports Inc.

Two of the three NCAA bowl games the Warriors have played in — the 1989 Aloha Bowl and 1999 O'ahu Bowl — were at Aloha Stadium.

There is a cap on the number of bowls the NCAA will permit and a moratorium through 2003 on adding ones not already certified.