Posted on: Friday, May 3, 2002

Hawai'i hoping ESPN ties lead to future deals

By Ferd Lewis
Advertiser Staff

University of Hawai'i officials said they hope the school's new bowl partnership with ESPN Regional Television will lead to more opportunities with the network.

ESPN Regional Television (ERT), a division of the sports network that describes itself as, "the largest producer and syndicator of collegiate sports," is the owner and operator of the just-certified Hawai'i Bowl in partnership with UH, the Western Athletic Conference and Conference USA.

The game is scheduled for 3 p.m. Christmas Day at Aloha Stadium. Organizers said UH is guaranteed a bid if the Warriors win at least seven of their 13 games this season.

But UH is also looking beyond the upcoming season.

"We believe in the process of working together we can also establish a platform for the future," Hugh Yoshida, UH athletic director said.

In addition to the three regular-season Warrior football games (Brigham Young, Fresno State and Washington State) ESPN may pick up this season, UH would like to interest ESPN in the Rainbow Classic basketball tournament and other events.

UH, which has talked of playing a football game in Japan, hopes to "explore some global possibilities" with ESPN or one of its divisions, ESPN International or ESPN Pacific Rim, Yoshida said.

"The WAC, UH and ESPN relationship will be stronger and could provide other opportunities to UH and the WAC because of it," said Karl Benson, WAC commissioner who helped broker the deal.

The WAC is entering the second year of a three-year contract with the network to televise its football and basketball games. It is also talking to ERT about a place in a possible Fort Worth, Texas, bowl game in 2003.

ERT Senior vice president Pete Derzis said the division, "looks forward to building a relationship with the University of Hawai'i and the WAC."