UH may move hoops classic

By Ferd Lewis
Advertiser Staff Writer

The University of Hawai'i is attempting to change the dates of its Rainbow Classic basketball tournament to avoid a likely Christmas Eve conflict with the Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl this year, officials said.

With the Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl expected to move to Christmas Eve as a result of the just-announced NFL schedule, UH athletic director Herman Frazier said he is asking the seven visiting teams in the Rainbow Classic if they can be available to start and end the tournament a day earlier to avoid a finals night clash with the football bowl.

"We obviously don't want a conflict if we can avoid it," Frazier said. "We're looking at trying to end the classic on the 23rd, if at all possible."

The classic, which had been scheduled to run Dec. 21 to 24, would begin Dec. 20.

Frazier said "the other thing for us is not just the fans and everything else, but also our staff. A lot of our people will be staffing the bowl as well as trying to run the basketball (tournament) at the same time."

The Rainbow Classic field includes, in addition to host UH, Alabama-Birmingham, Clemson, Georgetown, Indiana State, Long Beach State, Louisiana State and Southern California.

Since its inception in 1964, the Rainbow Classic has been a post-Christmas event ending on Dec. 30 every year except 2001. This year, because of concerns of getting the teams enough time to prepare for conference openings, the tournament is starting a week early.

The Hawai'i Bowl was held on Christmas Day in 2002 and '03, but the NFL yesterday announced a rare nationally televised Christmas Day doubleheader — Oakland at Kansas City (noon Hawai'i time) and Denver at Tennessee (3:30 p.m.) — for this year.

In anticipation of the move, Hawai'i Bowl executive director Jim Donovan said ESPN Regional Television (ERT), the owner and operator of the game, has been looking at the possibility of a 2 p.m. kickoff on Dec. 24.

The NFL has scheduled one game, Green Bay at Minnesota on Dec. 24, but the kickoff is 10 a.m. Hawai'i time.

Donovan said a move to Dec. 24, "could have a lot of upside for us. I think it could make it easier for some fans, who have had Christmas Day commitments in the past, to be able to make the game."

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