The reward for college football's only perfect regular season is $338.

That's the amount each member of the 12-0 Hawai'i football team received yesterday — in cash — as part of their per diem for the Jan. 1 Sugar Bowl.

They will receive the other half when they arrive in New Orleans, site of their Bowl Championship Series game against Georgia.

In addition, each Warrior received a Sugar Bowl watch.

"It feels good," said offensive tackle Ray Hisatake, who is from the Bay Area. "For some guys, this is a ticket home."

Slotback Ryan Grice-Mullins said: "It's not bad. It's good money. I'll take it. It's free. Actually, we worked for it. We worked hard."

Qualifying for a postseason bowl is one of the few times a school can provide extra services for players. During the regular season, for instance, a non-scholarship player must pay for a training-table breakfast. As part of the bowl preparation, the breakfast buffet is free to all team members.

Running back Kealoha Pilares, a Damien Memorial graduate, figures he receives $109 a month to pay for meals not covered under his football scholarship. Without help from his family, he said, "I don't know what I'd be doing. I'd be starving."

He said he will use the money to buy Christmas presents.

Defensive end Nate Russell, who is not on scholarship, has worked as a security guard and a weight-room assistant to pay for tuition and living expenses. He has received grants, and taken out loans. Russell said the money comes in handy, but it was not his motivation.

"I'm playing for the love of the sport," Russell said. "Actually, it's a dream. Coming from a junior college, I knew I could play on the Division I level, and I can. I'm still on the team. I'm on the roster. I'm contributing in practice. It's worth it. We're going to the Sugar Bowl."

GRASSO WILL TAKE LEAVE

Making use of an NCAA exemption, punter Tim Grasso will go on "sabbatical" during the 2008 spring semester and rejoin the Warriors in July.

Grasso, who transferred from a junior college in July, is not on scholarship, and the Warriors do not have an available one for the spring semester. He is promised one for the 2008 season.

Grasso already has spent $10,000 on tuition, room and board, and expenses. He estimated it would take another $8,000 to pay for the spring semester.

"That's 18 (thousand)," he said. "When you're a 20-year-old kid, it's not the greatest thing in the world."

But Grasso learned of a one-time exemption that would allow him to take off a semester. To be eligible for the following season, a player needs to earn 24 credit hours during the current academic year. Grasso earned 19 credits this fall, while maintaining a 3.4 grade-point average. He could fulfill the remaining requirements by passing two summer-session classes in July.

Grasso said his post-Sugar Bowl plan is to travel to Salt Lake City, which is a short drive from his family home in Kaysville, Utah. He said he will spend the spring semester in Kaysville, then work out in a punting camp in June. After that, he will enroll in UH's second summer session.

"Financially, it's smarter for me," Grasso said. Missing "spring ball will be fine. We don't do a whole bunch of punting."

Grasso said he has met with the UH compliance officer and a counselor.

COLT GOING TO COLORADO

Quarterback Colt Brennan leaves tomorrow for Colorado, where he will spend Christmas with his family. His sister is expecting a child any moment.

"Hopefully, she has the baby before I get there," he said. "If not, she might have it on Christmas Day or Christmas Eve."

AUTOGRAPH SESSION

Don't forget the Warriors will be available for autographs from noon to 1 p.m. today at the school's soccer field. UH is limiting Brennan to signing one item per person.

Reach Stephen Tsai at stsai@honoluluadvertiser.com.

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