Certification concerns UH

By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer

University of Hawai'i football coach June Jones said the Warriors will not play in the Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl on Christmas Day if his players are not academically certified in time.

But UH athletic director Herman Frazier said he doesn't "see this as a major issue," and the school has implemented several steps, including a status check of the players on Dec. 15, to ensure the certification process will be completed.

Jones said school and athletic department officials have "done everything they can" to ensure the players will be certified by at least 48 hours before the 3 p.m. kickoff on Dec. 25.

"But I was told one thing: if the computer freezes up or it locks up and we can't get (the players' grades), then we've got a problem," Jones said. "I'm going to tell you now, if that happens, we're not going to play."

Last year, the Western Athletic Conference, of which UH is a member, implemented a rule that requires its football players to earn at least six credits — the equivalent of passing two classes — during the fall semester to be eligible to play in a postseason bowl.

UH did not certify any of its players before last year's Hawai'i Bowl, saying there was not enough time between the end of the fall semester on Dec. 20 and the Dec. 25 game. The WAC publicly reprimanded UH and assessed a $5,000 fine.

After the game, it was learned UH quarterback Tim Chang took an incomplete in one class, falling short of the six-credit minimum. Even though Chang finished the work, earning a "B" for the course, he was suspended for this season's opener. Although a WAC rule was violated, the NCAA has jurisdiction and imposes the sanctions.

The last day of UH classes for this fall is Thursday, and the last day for final examinations is Dec. 19. Frazier said the official grades for all UH students will be posted Dec. 23 in the school's computer system.

"If there's a computer failure and they come to me and say we don't have the grades, then we won't play the game," Jones said. "It's going to go right down to, maybe, 48 hours before (kickoff). If the computer has a glitch or whatever, we won't play the game. It's as simple as that."

Without proof of each player's final fall grades, Jones said, "everybody's ineligible. The precedent has already been set. The computer wasn't ready last year. We had one player (failing to qualify), and they wouldn't let him play the first game. I'm not going to take a chance and forfeit everybody next year."

Frazier said the chancellor's office through the dean of Arts and Sciences "have been working on" the certification process. "I think what you have is a coach who is frustrated by the events from last year," Frazier said. "Obviously, whenever you're in postseason — you qualify for postseason — you want to go into that game with all of your players and everybody certified and able to compete."

WAC commissioner Karl Benson said: "I've been assured by the University of Hawai'i that they will comply with this regulation. I'm confident they will do so."

Reach Stephen Tsai at stsai@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8051.