Hawai'i to get bowl game

By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer

RENO, Nev. — Western Athletic Conference and University of Hawai'i officials have agreed to be partners in creating and managing a postseason college football bowl game in the Islands as early as next year.

If sponsorships and NCAA approval can be secured soon, the game could be played as early as December 2002 at Aloha Stadium, WAC commissioner Karl Benson told The Advertiser today.

Benson declined to estimate how much it would cost the league and UH to start a bowl game. But he said ESPN is interested in televising a Hawai'i bowl game.

A void was created this year when Bowl Games of Hawai'i moved the Aloha Bowl and O'ahu Bowl to San Francisco and Seattle, respectively. (While the Seattle game is set, it appears doubtful the San Francisco bowl will be played this year.)

"Hawai'i has proven itself as a bowl destination," Benson said.

Benson and UH athletic director Hugh Yoshida discussed the matter yesterday in Reno, where the league is conducting its annual Football Media Preview, and are scheduled to meet again next month.

"It's a very good possibility this will get done," Benson said.

The NCAA has a moratorium on adding bowls. But Benson said that is expected to be lifted in the next few months.

The WAC receives automatic berths in the Humanitarian Bowl in Boise, Idaho, and Silicon Valley Classic in San Jose, Calif. Benson said neither of those bowls will move to Hawai'i.

"Our plans would be to re-establish a game in Hawai'i and not move one of our existing games," Benson said.

When the moratorium is lifted, Benson said, "it would pave the way to play a game in Hawai'i.'