Posted on: Friday, December 10, 2004
Warriors are visiting team for bowl game
By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer
In the aftermath of last year's on-field fight after the Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl, the University of Hawai'i football team will use the "visitor's" locker room for the Christmas Eve bowl against Alabama-Birmingham at Aloha Stadium.
DATE: Dec. 24
TIME: 2 p.m. WHERE: Aloha Stadium TICKETS: Aloha Stadium box office, Stan Sheriff Center box office, phone sales: (808) 944-2697; Internet sales: www.etickethawaii.com
The Hawai'i and Houston players criss-crossed when they traveled between their locker rooms and sidelines. To avoid crossing paths, UH will use the makai sideline and locker room. During the regular season, the Warriors always used the mauka locker room.
As the visiting team, the Warriors likely will have to wear the white jerseys reserved for road games. This season, the Warriors are 7-1 at Aloha Stadium and 5-0 when they wear black jerseys. They are 0-4 when they wear white.
The Hawai'i Bowl has sold about 10,000 tickets locally since the Warriors defeated Michigan State last Saturday to clinch a berth, said Jim Donovan, the game's executive director.
Donovan said the bowl had sold about 4,500 tickets previously.
"If the game were to be played today, without walk-up sales, local-ticket sales would be around 14,000 or 15,000," Donovan said.
What's more, Conference USA — a co-sponsor of the bowl — is obligated to purchase 10,000 tickets.
Donovan announced that anyone with an active military identification card may go to the Aloha Stadium box office on Christmas Eve and receive a free ticket. The offer is extended to each spouse and child with a valid military ID card. Military dependents who are 12 and younger are eligible for a free ticket if they show up at the box office with someone with a valid military ID.
"It's ESPN's way of saying thanks," Donovan said, referring to the game's co-owner.
Reach Stephen Tsai at stsai@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8051.
Although the Warriors were deemed the "home" team last year, they used the visitor's sideline on the makai side of the stadium. They had to travel diagonally to reach their usual locker room on the mauka side of the South end zone.
WHO: Hawai'i (7-5) vs. Alabama Birmingham (7-4)
