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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Tuesday, October 28, 2003

UH wary of costs that come with switching leagues

By Ferd Lewis
Advertiser Staff Writer

University of Hawai'i President Evan Dobelle said Mountain West Conference membership still makes the most sense, "but not at any price."

In interviews with The Advertiser and radio station KKEA yesterday, Dobelle reiterated what he sees as "more of a natural kinship, if you will, with the Mountain West Conference," but said the terms of an offer would have to make financial sense.

He said UH isn't interested in MWC membership, "on a ransom level where they want a huge entry fee. I think we just bring too much to a conference to pay a whole lot to get in," Dobelle told KKEA.

He said UH hasn't determined what it could afford.

It is standard practice for conferences to require new members pay a buy-in fee. Texas Christian reportedly paid more than $2 million in cash and deferred disbursements to join Conference USA in 2001. MWC members have speculated that if UH were invited the school might have to pay a travel subsidy to visiting teams. UH doesn't pay travel subsidies as a member of the Western Athletic Conference.

Dobelle said travel subsidies are "a slippery slope," but "all things are negotiable."

Dobelle said he was recently sounded out by a MWC president, whom he would not identify, on behalf of the conference about UH's interest in membership. "(They) said, 'Would you want to be considered?' and I said, 'Sure, but we have other options.' "

Dobelle said no terms were discussed. "No one has called me and said, 'Here's the offer,' so I haven't had any ability to react (to an offer)."

Dobelle said "the pay-in initially doesn't concern me, but what do we get out of it? What makes it worthwhile to do that? Does it give us opportunities for different kinds of bowl games where they have higher payouts? Is our television contract with ESPN changed so we actually get something more out of it? That kind of thing."

If an offer comes, Dobelle said athletic director Herman Frazier would be responsible for negotiating a deal which Dobelle would have to approve and take to the Board of Regents.

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