The "drop-dead" deadline for the University of Hawai'i to finalize its 2007 football schedule isn't dead — yet.

Athletic director Herman Frazier yesterday said he will give it until "the middle of next week" to either land a 13th — and final — game or settle on the 12 currently announced.

"If we were to start our (season) today, we'd play 12 games," Frazier said.

Frazier said he has proposals out to two Division I-A schools for one of them to play a game at Aloha Stadium on one of UH's open dates, Oct. 20 or Nov. 3, "but I won't go past the middle of next week. Either people are going to get on board or we're done."

Frazier told the legislature on May 21 that the end of the month was a "drop-dead" deadline for completing the schedule. "I'm responding to what I said I was going to do when we were at the capitol," Frazier said yesterday.

UH played 13 regular season games last year, the first season after the NCAA raised the maximum, and is allowed to play 13 again this year. UH announced Washington as a 10th game in January, Division I-AA Charleston Southern as the 11th game in March and Division I-AA Northern Colorado as the 12th game in May and has been seeking a 13th opponent.

Frazier declined to identify schools under discussion or which conference they play in. But he said possibilities of a Pac-10 opponent were finished. "Washington State and Oregon State were the most logical," Frazier said.

Spokesmen from both schools have said they will keep their current 12-game schedules and were opposed to giving up an open date to play a non-conference game in the midst of the Pac-10 schedule. The only other Pac-10 team showing an opening matching UH's is Arizona State, Frazier's alma mater. But Mark Brand, ASU associate athletic director, said the Sun Devils have their schedule "situated perfectly with 12 games" and have no interest in a 13th game.

Frazier said UH's negotiations with the two prospective opponents is, "still a partnership between us, ESPN and the (Western Athletic) conference."

The issue won't be decided by money, Frazier suggested. "At this point it really isn't going to be the money that is gonna get a team. It is gonna be who wants to play us. As far as money is concerned, we're in the ballpark where we should be."

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@honoluluadvertiser.com.