In a rare appearance at an Aloha Stadium Authority meeting attended by UH athletics officials, Lingle said UH should not be forced to pay stadium usage fees "as much as they do." She said usage terms should be specific, consistent and fair to every client, including UH.

UH is seeking a reduction in the $320,065 in rent it was billed in 2004 for eight games, and a proposed amendment to stadium rules is being considered by both parties for a reduction in that payment.

"I wondered why the university was treated like that — a commercial enterprise — and why so much of the revenue they are able to generate is given to the stadium," said Lingle, who declined to provide an ideal figure for a UH usage fee. "I think, maybe, it's time to talk to the Legislature about a new way of looking at this, so that all the burden is not shifted to the university."

UH athletic director Herman Frazier has called the rent reduction the most important item for an athletic program that has run at a deficit for three consecutive years. Frazier described recent discussions with stadium officials as "very, very positive."

"We don't want this to be an adversarial relationship," he said.

Stadium officials said income generated by rent and other means are used to maintain and operate the 30-year-old, 50,000-seat facility in Halawa.

"As far as I'm concerned, this is not a problem with rent," said Aloha Stadium Authority chairman Kevin Chong Kee. "It's a state agency helping another state agency."

UH was billed $874,179 for using Aloha Stadium during the 2004 season — $554,114 of that went to operating expenses such as clean up, electricity, ushers and security.

"It's good that everybody can focus on what it takes to run a facility like this," Lingle said. "I also think it's important to keep the community benefit in mind."

Lingle told the nine-member authority that by treating UH as a commercial entity, "you're really projecting this idea that it's all about money." That's not the purpose of college sports, she said, which is to "give a good experience to the young people, allow them to play in a great facility" and let the community enjoy them with affordable ticket prices.

In related news, Lingle said about 2,800 deteriorated seats in the orange section at the stadium will be replaced at a cost of $1,185,000.

The seats have not been replaced since the stadium was built in 1975, she said. The improvements are expected to be completed by July 2006.