Posted on: Friday, April 23, 2004
Hawai'i Bowl among 28 to earn recertification
| • | Ferd Lewis: Keep your shirt on, NCAA |
By Ferd Lewis
Advertiser Staff Writer
The Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl was one of 28 games receiving recertification yesterday in New Orleans as the NCAA Football Certification subcommittee served notice it intends to enforce minimum attendance standards.
Four games — the Las Vegas, New Orleans, Emerald and Silicon Valley bowls— were "certified with concern" about meeting the two-year-old threshold of averaging 25,000 attendance or 70 percent of stadium capacity over a three-year period, the NCAA announced.
In addition, the Silicon Valley and Houston bowls were given conditional certification pending the submission of letters of credit by Sept. 1.
Failure to meet the target numbers or provide letters of credit could result in loss of certification, NCAA officials warned during the three days of meetings.
The Hawai'i Bowl had announced crowds of 35,513 in 2002 and 25,555 last year.
Hawai'i Bowl executive director Jim Donovan said, "we're pleased to receive recertification going into our third year." He said the bowl plans to look at several ticket promotion plans to increase attendance for this year's Dec. 24 game at Aloha Stadium. It will be the only bowl game on Christmas Eve, according to the NCAA.
"The game is good for the state and good for the University of Hawai'i, and we intend to come up with some ideas that will make it easier for more people to attend," Donovan said.
UH will represent the Western Athletic Conference for a third consecutive year if the Warriors win seven of their final 11 games this year to become bowl eligible.
Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8044.
