Posted on: Thursday, June 2, 2005

UH football might be on ABC against Fresno State

By Ferd Lewis
Advertiser Staff Writer

The University of Hawai'i football team could make its first regular-season network television appearance in 22 years when it hosts Fresno State Oct. 29 at Aloha Stadium.

The Western Athletic Conference, UH and Fresno State have been in negotiations with ABC, and announcement could be made as soon as this week, according to people familiar with the situation.

It would be UH's first such network TV game since the 1989 Aloha Bowl appearance against Michigan State on ABC, and its first regular-season showing since 1983, when it played San Diego State on CBS.

ABC Sports Vice President Mark Mandel declined comment, saying the network "will be announcing our broadcast schedule shortly."

Kickoff for the game, which originally had been listed as 6:05 p.m., has apparently not yet been decided. Mandel said ABC has several possible windows for a game from Hawai'i depending on whether the game is shown nationally or regionally.

UH could have as many as six of its 12 regular season games shown on network TV or cable this season. ESPN previously announced it will pick up the Sept. 3 opener against two-time defending national champion Southern California and the Nov. 25 game against Wisconsin. UH's Oct. 1 game against Boise State is another ESPN possibility, while the Sept. 10 game at Michigan State could end up on one of the Big Ten's contracted outlets.

In addition, SportsWest gets its choice of WAC games after ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU are finished and could select the Oct. 10 UH game at San Jose State or Nov. 5 game at Nevada.

UH would not receive additional income from ABC because the game is administered under the WAC's contract with ESPN, which also is owned by Disney.

Meanwhile, UH could announce its new local television contract this week. The bid deadline was May 6.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8044.