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The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted on: Saturday, November 1, 2003

Spartans seek fan support

By Ferd Lewis
Advertiser Columnist

SAN JOSE, Calif. — "Super Kids Day. All kids 13 and under FREE!"

"Armed Forces Appreciation Day. FREE admission to the military community for active, reserve, veterans, DOD contractors and families."

"Hawaiian Festival. Food. Entertainment. Arts & Crafts."

The advertisements in the newspapers here all but plead for people to come to today's 10 a.m. (Hawai'i time) University of Hawai'i-San Jose State football game, please.

Even for a team that is 2-5, the struggle on the field is only half the battle for the San Jose State football program.

The other half, and perhaps the bigger one, is for future survival.

A series of NCAA rules designed to rid the major college ranks of its hangers-on goes on the books next season requiring, among other things, that schools average at least 15,000, turnstile attendance, per game or risk losing their I-A status.

At San Jose State, one of 10 schools in the 117-school I-A division that wouldn't have met the attendance requirement either of the past two seasons with averages of just 8,506 in 2001 and 10,360 last year, the concern is palpable.

Before the Spartans could hide, as others did, behind "tickets distributed" counts. But beginning next year, actual bodies in the stadium become the standard, not a good sign here where, despite a game with Fresno State last year that was to determine whether the Spartans went to a bowl for the first time in 13 seasons, only 14,134 showed up.

So, a school with a proud tradition that includes Bill Walsh, Jeff Garcia, Steve DeBerg and Billy Wilson among others, knows its future hangs in the balance.

That's why, it is pulling out all the promotional stops this season to get people into aging 28,867-seat Spartan Stadium in the hopes they will find their way back next year. It is why, as a school spokesman puts it, the scene around today's game "will resemble a three-ring circus" aimed at pulling in 18,000-20,000.

Things began promisingly enough this season with a visit by Grambling and its band of reknown in the season opener. But after a 29-0 San Jose State win and the first sellout, 31,681, in 13 years, both the season and the attendance have plunged sharply.

The past two home games have averaged fewer than 12,000 each.

That's why the arrival of the Warriors today for the first time in four seasons is greeted as a considerable blessing. In their infrequent visits, the Warriors manage to turn out some of the Bay Area's estimated 25,000 former Hawai'i residents.

Indeed, the UH Alumni Association and Hawaii Chamber of Commerce of Northern California have scheduled a series of events surrounding the game including a post-game block party today.

Even if, as UH coach June Jones suggests, a large part of the crowd might be pulling for UH, any crowd at all has to be music to the Spartans' ears.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8044.