Posted on: Tuesday, March 8, 2005
HAWAI'I BOWL
Hawai'i Bowl seeks Dec. 24 slot again
By Ferd Lewis
Advertiser Staff Writer
The Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl hopes to keep its game on Christmas Eve afternoon this year, officials said yesterday.
Dec. 24 falls on a Saturday this year.
But Derzis said, "nothing will be official until we've seen the final NFL schedule and, then, ESPN will review the television windows and be ready to make an official announcement."
The NFL schedule is expected out next month.
It was because of the NFL's move into its first Christmas Day doubleheader since 1971 last year that the Hawai'i Bowl was forced off its traditional date of Dec. 25. The Hawai'i Bowl and its predecessors, the Aloha and O'ahu Bowl had, since 1982, been played on Christmas Day.
The move helped bring what the game said was its largest crowd, 38,322, to watch Hawai'i beat Alabama-Birmingham, 59-40.
In addition, the game attracted 1.95 million households on ESPN, its best audience for the game.
Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8044.
After studying various alternatives, "Dec. 24th would be our wish, based upon the success of this past year and the response we've received from fans and focus groups," said Pete Derzis, vice president of ESPN Regional Television, which owns and operates the game.
