NCAA brings football to Honolulu for Christmas
By Ferd Lewis
Advertiser Staff Writer
Saying Hawai'i deserved a second chance to play host to a football bowl game, the NCAA Football Certification Subcommittee yesterday approved the Hawai'i Bowl for Christmas Day at Aloha Stadium.
"The committee believes there is strong community interest and Hawai'i can again support a bowl game," said Dennis Poppe, NCAA staff liaison with the committee.
Hawai'i had hosted the Aloha Bowl (1982-2000) and O'ahu Bowl (1998-2000) but was left without a game last season when the owner of the games, Aloha Sports Inc., pulled out of the state citing poor attendance.
The new game, tentatively called the Hawai'i Bowl pending a possible title sponsorship, will be played at 3 p.m. and shown on ESPN, matching teams from the Western Athletic Conference and Conference USA.
ESPN Regional Television, a marketing division of the sports network, has a four-year contract to produce the bowl in conjunction with the University of Hawai'i, the WAC and Conference USA.
Pete Derzis, a senior vice president with ESPN Regional Television, said UH would be guaranteed a place in the game this season if the Warriors have seven or more wins in a 13-game schedule. "Hawai'i will be protected," Derzis said.
Despite a 9-3 record, UH did not receive a bowl invitation last season.
"The opportunity to play in this game will provide us with tremendous exposure," said Jim Donovan, associate athletic director at UH. "It is good for our program, our players and the state."
"This is a big positive for us," said June Jones, UH football coach. "It can't but help us."
The game will pay at least the NCAA minimum of $750,000 per team with the possibility of a higher payout depending upon attendance and sponsorship.
Two other groups, Aloha Sports Inc. and Michigan-based Global Events Management, also made proposals to the NCAA to hold games here in December.
Poppe said UH's involvement demonstrated a strong potential for community support.
"We had several new bowl organizations that came to us very well prepared with conference and television commitments, as well as good facilities and support from their communities," said Tim Curley, chair of the certification subcommittee and athletic director at Penn State.
With the addition of the San Francisco Bowl, which will be played at Pac Bell Park, and the Queen City Bowl of Charlotte, N.C., the postseason field will take in a record 28 games. A potential 29th bowl in Fort Worth, Texas, whose officials made a presentation to the NCAA this week, could be in the lineup in 2003.
