The University of Hawai'i could learn as soon as today which of its final two home regular-season football games, Purdue or Oregon State, will be televised by ESPN.

Under terms of a preseason agreement with the Western Athletic Conference and UH, the network has said it will take one of the two games but not both. It is supposed to make the decision by Wednesday, but WAC commissioner Karl Benson said an announcement could be made today.

"We expect to hear shortly," Benson said yesterday.

Although ESPN has not declared its preference, Oregon State's 33-31 upset of former No. 3 Southern California Saturday might have tilted the edge toward the Dec. 2 game. The Beavers are 5-3 with four games before the Aloha Stadium date.

Purdue, which was shut out by Penn State, 12-0, is 5-4 and has three games remaining before it comes to Hawai'i Nov. 25.

There has been no word if the kickoff time for the selected game will change.

Whichever game ESPN chooses, it will be UH's only regular-season network appearance.

UH (6-2) needs one more victory to become bowl eligible and play in the Dec. 24 Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl, which is owned and operated by ESPN Regional Television (ERT) and shown on the ESPN network.

Saturday UH plays its final road game of the season at Utah State. It will be produced by ERT but shown locally on KFVE.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@honoluluadvertiser.com.