ESPNU eyes wahine volleyball
By Ferd Lewis
Advertiser Staff Writer
ESPN's latest channel, ESPNU, said it is considering some University of Hawai'i women's volleyball matches, among other sports, for its inaugural season.
"Hawai'i is one of those teams that, if it has an available game that fits in our window, we're going to absolutely look into it," said ESPN spokesman Mike Humes. "We want to have the best teams."
"I would be surprised if they did not show some," said Karl Benson, Western Athletic Conference commissioner. "We expect there will be exposure for some of our (fall) sports and anticipate that, come winter and spring, those sports will fall into the ESPNU mix as well."
ESPNU is the network's 24-hour all-college sports channel launched last month to an initial audience of about 3 million households. Humes said ESPNU will carry more than 300 events in 2005-06 taking in, in addition to football and men's basketball, women's basketball, volleyball, baseball and other sports.
Dave Shoji, Rainbow Wahine volleyball coach, said he was unfamiliar with ESPNU's plans but said, "for us to get exposure all over the country would be good for recruiting. It sounds like it will be good for a lot of the sports that don't get (much) exposure."
Because ESPNU is expected to announce this summer some of the fall events it will show, it is unsure what impact it might have on local broadcast contracts. UH and KFVE are still in negotiations on a two-year extension of their agreement.
John Fink, vice president and general manager of KHNL and KFVE, said negotiations with UH are "ongoing and moving forward."
Fink said ESPNU's role "is something we will all have to consider because in the last year or two, between basketball and (now) women's volleyball, there have been more in roads by national services. Anytime a national service comes in, it impacts the local broadcaster."
ESPN has a contract to show a limited number of football and men's basketball games. Benson said an add-on is under review to cover additional selections.
ESPNU and the WAC will announce this summer which football games will be broadcast. With the addition of ESPNU, the WAC said it is hopeful of expanding beyond eight the number of games the network will show.
Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8044.
