Some disappointed and angry University of Hawai'i season-ticket holders who will spend thousands of dollars on airfare, hotel rooms and Allstate Sugar Bowl tickets learned this week they'll be sitting behind an end zone in the Louisiana Superdome.

Rory Lee, a four-year season-ticket holder from Kailua, expects to spend much of the UH-Georgia game watching the action on the stadium's giant video screens from his seats in rows 9 and 10 of section 127 behind the end zone near the UH cheering section.

"The angle's going to be really bad," Lee said. "For the most part, you can only see the game when the action is taking place on your side of the field. If anything's going on in the other end zone, forget it. I'll be better off watching the big screens."

Nearly three weeks of suspense ended on Monday for UH season-ticket holders who ordered their Sugar Bowl seats directly from UH in the flurry following UH's victory over Washington in November.

UH season-ticket holder Jon Tesoro knew he had bad seats when he opened his tickets and saw that he would be near the end zone nearest to the UH cheering section.

Then Tesoro heard from Gino Patague, his computer specialist co-worker and fellow UH season-ticket holder, whose seats are directly behind the same end zone but at the top of the Superdome in section 625.

"The angle is a little bit off for my seats," said Tesoro, who'll be sitting in the 29th row of section 124. "But Gino's got it worse. He wishes he had my tickets."

While many fans got tickets behind or near the end zone, others received great seats near the 50-yard line.

Seat assignments to the Sugar Bowl were based on the criteria outlined in a letter sent to season-ticket holders on the eve of the Washington game, which gave priority seats to corporate sponsors, members of the UH booster club, 'Ahahui Koa Anuenue, and season-ticket holders based on the amount of premiums — or additional donations on top of ticket prices — that they paid this year.

MANY PAID MINIMUM

Many season-ticket holders who ended up with seats around the end zone said yesterday that they only paid the minimum premium or less this year. More than half the seats for UH games at 50,000-seat Aloha Stadium carry a premium charge for season tickets.

"It's a new situation for our community, and we're trying to be as diligent as possible in explaining the various processes and provide as much information as we can," said John McNamara, UH's associate athletic director of external affairs. "We can only work with the seat locations that were provided to us by the Sugar Bowl. In regards to the Sugar Bowl allotment of tickets, there has been a Herculean effort on our part to secure as many Sugar Bowl tickets as possible for our season-ticket holders. Our effort to continually reach out as tickets became available demonstrates our commitment to our season-ticket holders."

Like others, 29-year-old Kale Hannahs believes that die-hard fans like him "should be rewarded with sideline seats" instead of watching the Sugar Bowl from the end zone.

"Their devotion to the team and its players should be rewarded, especially making the journey halfway across the U.S. to watch our boys play," Hannahs said. " ... I would have been more than happy to pay for tickets on the sideline rather than have it just be assigned. I hope, in the sense of fairness, that Georgia season-ticket holders have similar seats on the opposite side of the field. It would be quite unfair if Georgia had a whole sideline opposed to UH's half sideline and a full end zone."

SAME FOR BOTH TEAMS

Duane Lewis, director of communications for the Sugar Bowl, said both Georgia and UH fans will be spread among opposite end zones and along both benches — on all levels.

"The sections are split accordingly by team on opposite sides of the stadium," Lewis said. "Both teams have the same number of seats in the same general sections, which partially include the end zone."

Such statements did little to mollify season-ticket holders like Ryan Gonzalez, 29, of Mo'ili'ili.

"I don't think it's right," Gonzalez said. "I'm a little miffed that they put us in the end zone. When we purchased our tickets, we weren't really given an option on where we'd sit. We were just told that prices ranged between $125 to $150. I would have definitely paid more for a better seat if that's what the issue is."

At least Gonzalez will be sitting among UH fans.

Jay Ogata, 22, and his group of five friends from Central O'ahu are happy with the seats they got in section 138 near the 10-yard line.

But Ogata can't figure out why UH put his group near the Georgia sideline in the Georgia cheering section.

"I'm happy that our seats are good and they're not in the end zone," Ogata said. "But, buying our seats through UH, I'm shocked that we're not in the Hawai'i section. It makes no sense to me. I called the Stan Sheriff (box office) and they couldn't explain how it happened."

NO GROUSING

For all of the disappointed fans yesterday, there were others who tried to make the best of their fate in the Superdome's end zone.

Kalei Ka'ano'i, 36, of 'Aiea, and his older brother, Akoni, are just happy they didn't end up in nosebleed seats at the top of the stadium.

"Usually the end zones are pretty clear," Kalei said. "My brother's excited to sit there versus being all the way at the top."

Kalei started at inside linebacker for Saint Louis School in his junior and senior years. Akoni, one year older, was a Saint Louis cornerback.

So from their end zone seats, the brothers plan to enjoy the game from the point of view of either a running back or a defender.

"We'll be able to see the plays from a different angle," Kalei said. "Of course, if we're 40 yards outside the end zone, we'll be looking 140 yards down the field to the other end zone."

But few were as understanding yesterday as season-ticket holder Henry Ajitomi, 58, of Manoa, who bought three tickets that ended up being in section 123, just off the end zone.

"Being in the end zone? Somebody had to get those tickets," Ajitomi said. "Half the time it's not going to be good. But the other half, you're right in the action."

Reach Dan Nakaso at dnakaso@honoluluadvertiser.com.

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