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The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted at 10:27 a.m., Friday, December 16, 2005

Few Nevada followers at Hawai'i Bowl

Associated Press

RENO, Nev. — Nevada's rooting section at the Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl a week from Saturday better be loud, because it's not going to be very big.

The combination of a game on Christmas Eve and a round-trip air fare of more than $1,000 has most fans content to watch the game on ESPN.

UNR says it has sold about 75 tickets so far.

"My family really wanted to go, but it's just so expensive for them," said Roderick Stallings, a Wooster High graduate and starting safety for the Wolf Pack. "They'll just have to tune in on TV like a lot of people."

Punter Justin Bergendahl said his mother, father, sister and nephew are making the trip from the Bay Area for the game.

"It's expensive for them, but I am a senior, so this is kind of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for all of us," Bergendahl said. "This is our Christmas present."

Suraj Zutshi, a local travel agent, said the biggest problems right now are airfare and limited availability of seats to Honolulu during the high tourism season for Hawaii.

There are no nonstop flights from Reno to Honolulu, so those wanting to travel from Reno have to connect to flights full of vacationers out of the Bay Area, Las Vegas, Phoenix and Southern California.

"Anyone who wants to show their support for the Wolf Pack will need to shell out some serious money," Zutshi said.

Package deals that include airfare, hotel and rental car are cheaper than booking each separately, Zutshi said. A seven-night package trip, leaving Reno on Sunday and returning Christmas Day, starts at $1,561 per person. A three-night package, leaving on Dec. 22, starts at $1,296 per person, according to Zutshi.

But with the game starting at 3:30 p.m. Hawai'i time — 5:30 p.m. in Reno — fans and family members wouldn't get back to the Mainland until Christmas morning at the earliest.

Scheduling was the biggest reason that Mike Rippee, the father of Wolf Pack freshman defensive back Luke Rippee, and his family aren't making the trip.

"Obviously the cost is something, but for us, it just didn't work out with the scheduling," said Rippee, the football coach at Douglas High School. "We hope we get another chance to go watch a bowl game. We're excited for UNR and hope this is the beginning of a lot of bowl games."