UH will host volleyball final 4 in '04
By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer
In a stunning move, the University of Hawai'i yesterday was selected as host of the 2004 NCAA men's volleyball final four.
"I'm happily surprised," said UH coach Mike Wilton, adding that the school was chosen without submitting a bid.
The champions of the NCAA's three men's leagues and an at-large team play in the final four for volleyball's national title. UH won the 2002 NCAA championship in May.
"It's fabulous," UH president Evan Dobelle said of the selection. "Mike Wilton deserves it and, most important, the fans of Hawai'i deserve it, because they're the best in the country."
At the urging of the NCAA Championship/Competition Cabinet, the Warriors submitted a bid for the 2003 final four, which eventually was awarded to Long Beach State. UCLA also submitted a bid for 2003.
Wilton said he believed new bids would have to be submitted for the 2004 final four. Instead, without requesting new bids, the NCAA decided to award the final four to UH in 2004 and UCLA in 2005.
UH athletic director Herman Frazier said the NCAA likely rewarded Long Beach State, UH and UCLA for showing the most interest. Ball State of Indiana expressed interest in serving as a host, but it was not known if it had actually submitted a bid.
Frazier said UH has agreed to guarantee selling 6,000 tournament packages worth $144,000. Frazier said the guarantee is "at the conservative end," given that the 1998 final four, staged in Hawai'i, drew an average of 9,451 per night. The 1998 title match between UCLA and Pepperdine drew a single-match record of 9,822 fans.
The NCAA keeps the entire gate, then pays "some kind of honorarium" to the host school, Frazier said.
In recent years, the NCAA has tried to alternate regions for the final four, with the tournament held in the West one year and the Midwest or East the next, and so forth. But Mountain Pacific Sports Federation schools will serve as hosts for the next three tournaments.
"I know the NCAA thinks switching regions will increase interest and exposure and draw different fans," said Dave Deuser, coach of Lewis in Illinois. "But I don't think anybody will complain about having a tournament in Hawai'i. I've been to every final four since 1992, and Hawai'i had the best atmosphere and response for volleyball. That's not to say that other schools haven't run a good tournament, because they have, but for whatever my opinion is worth, Hawai'i is the best site."
UH has led the nation in attendance for eight consecutive seasons, and is the NCAA's only profitable men's volleyball program.
The Warriors' preference was to serve as host next year, when they will have five returning starters. Outside hitters Costas Theocharidis, Eyal Zimet and Tony Ching, and middle blockers Brian Nordberg and JoJo Chala will be seniors this season.
"We'll happily take 2004," Wilton said. "It's really good news."
Ching promised that the UH-hosted final four "will be electric, especially if Hawai'i is playing. I know that as long as I'm not playing professionally, I'll be there to see it. I wouldn't miss it."
Deuser said he remembered the lure of Hawai'i in 1998.
"Trying to play in a final four was a big incentive," Deuser said. "The fact that it was a final four in Hawai'i was even more of an incentive."
Said Wilton: "I know the NCAA really liked having the final four here. I know that for sure. We have the best crowds in men's volleyball."
