Warriors should get significant air time
By Stephen Tsai and Ferd Lewis
Advertiser Staff Writers
Along with competing for the Western Athletic Conference championship in football this season, the University of Hawai'i and Boise State will duel for the most appearances in the conference's television package.
The Warriors are scheduled for at least four — and perhaps as many as six — appearances in their 12 regular-season games spread over ESPN, ESPN Regional (ERT) and SportsWest, the conference office said. Boise State is slated for three appearances on ESPN, two on SportsWest and one on ERT.
Six appearances would be the most for UH and, coupled with the Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl, the Warriors have a shot at having seven of 13 shown if they qualify for the postseason.
For UH, all four road and as many as two home games could be on networks. ESPN has announced Boise State is moving its Saturday night game with UH to Friday night Oct. 29 (2 p.m. Hawai'i time) for ESPN2 and Fresno State is moving its Saturday night game to 5:30 p.m. HST Friday, Nov. 12, for ESPN.
In addition, the conference said ERT will do the Sept. 18 UH game at Rice and SportsWest will do the Oct. 16 game at Texas-El Paso.
ESPN is also considering two UH Warrior home games, the Nov. 27 UH-Northwestern game and the Dec. 4 UH-Michigan State game.
Jeff Hurd, WAC senior associate commissioner, said, "I think the odds are they will be done, but they're not on (the list) yet."
Hurd said the combination of UH's offense, quarterback Tim Chang's assault on Ty Detmer's NCAA career passing record and Big Ten opposition make the games appealing to ESPN. "Having a Big Ten opponent in general is attractive from a TV standpoint."
Final determination, Hurd said, will "depend upon how the teams are doing at the time."
Chang, who has 12,814 yards, needs 2,218 yards to surpass Detmer's mark.
Boise State and Fresno State stand to receive so-called $50,000 "inconvenience" bonuses for agreeing to move their home games to Fridays. Conference members are scheduled to discuss this fall if teams participating in TV games will receive more of the rights fees. Heretofore, the conference has divided the money equally.
Reach Stephen Tsai at stsai@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8051, and Ferd Lewis at flewis@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8044.
