WAC might admonish Hawai'i

By Ferd Lewis
Advertiser Staff Writer

The University of Hawai'i could receive a reprimand from the Western Athletic Conference as soon as next month for failure to certify the academic eligibility of its football players for the Dec. 25 ConAgra Hawai'i Bowl.

Whether the action, among the lightest of possible penalties, will take the form of a public or private censure was not announced yesterday following the conclusion of a 90-minute teleconference hearing held by the WAC Council and involving the 10-member schools. Any action must be approved by the conference Board of Directors before it can be released.

WAC commissioner Karl Benson refused to comment on yesterday's proceedings, saying only, "per WAC bylaws a compliance (hearing) was conducted to review Hawai'i's non-compliance with the rule that requires them to certify all their football players had passed six credits or more to appear in a football bowl game."

UH athletic director Herman Frazier also declined comment through an aide, citing a WAC confidentiality provision.

Frazier, senior women's administrator Marilyn Moniz-Kaho'ohanohano, faculty representative Steve Martin, associate dean of academic affairs Ron Cambra and compliance director Daniel Arakaki represented UH in the hearing, according to one participant. That person also said refining the application of the rule in the future was discussed.

UH refused to confirm or deny whether it had used an ineligible player in the Hawai'i Bowl loss to Tulane.

Conference officials said UH was the only one of its three bowl teams not to certify its roster. Under the then-six-month-old rule, UH was required to certify that its players had passed six or more credit hours in the fall semester. Both Boise State and Fresno State certified their rosters with the Bulldogs holding out seven players from the Silicon Valley Bowl.

But UH neither certified its roster nor held any players out, citing the lateness of the end of its semester (Dec. 20) and the bowl game five days later. UH, which was advised in November to petition for a waiver, but never asked for one.

The rule is similar to those implemented by the Southeastern Conference and Big 12 and intended to ensure that athletes, particularly seniors in their final season of eligibility, keep attending classes.

It evolved following reports of athletes playing in bowl games and NCAA championships without setting foot in a classroom.