"Saying Hawai'i is definitely on our radar," the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, one of five games in the Bowl Championship Series, said it is scheduled to scout the University of Hawai'i football team at Friday's game in San Jose, Calif.

Team scout Steve Horrell said he will attend the UH-San Jose State game and meet with school and Western Athletic Conference officials tomorrow and Friday. "They are undefeated, we have to make sure we take a look at them," Horrell said of the 6-0, 16th-ranked Warriors. "That's what we do."

The 37th Fiesta Bowl will be played Jan. 2, 2008 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.

UH athletic director Herman Frazier said the appearance by the bowl is "big" for UH and demonstrates, "we're definitely on their radar." Frazier and Horrell are both Arizona State alumni and former Fiesta Bowl chairmen.

WAC commissioner Karl Benson said: "I think this is a recognition by the Fiesta Bowl that the WAC champion is a potential participant in the Fiesta Bowl all the time and, in fact, we have a team in contention there."

UH would have to win all six of its remaining games to have a shot at finishing in the top 12 of the BCS rankings, one major criteria for a BCS berth. Failing that UH would have to finish in the top 16 of the BCS rankings and be higher than a champion of one of the six BCS-guaranteed conferences.

The WAC has tie-ins with the Sheraton Hawai'i, New Mexico and Humanitarian bowls but would send a champion to a more lucrative BCS game, if invited. Last year, Boise State completed a 13-0 season with a victory over Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl. The payday was worth more than $8 million to the WAC.

Horrell said the Fiesta Bowl gets the first pick of Big 12 teams and believes a Texas-UH matchup, if it developed, would be intriguing. "I don't think Bob Stoops (Oklahoma's coach) wants to play another (WAC) team," Horrell said.

Only one of UH's seven NCAA bowl appearances — the 1992 Holiday Bowl in San Diego — has come away from Aloha Stadium.

Historically, Mainland-based bowls have been reluctant to take UH even with good records because of concerns about the number of Hawai'i fans who would find their way to the bowl city. Bowls are expected to generate visitors for the hotels, restaurants, shops and attractions in the host cities.

UH fans were responsible for approximately 6,000 tickets at the 1992 Holiday Bowl against Illinois, which sold 4,000, according to a spokesman. The game drew 44,457, which remains the smallest crowd in the bowl's history, according to a Holiday Bowl official.

But Frazier said he believes the crowds that UH has been able to produce for games in Las Vegas provide a more reliable, up-to-date gauge. UH has been credited with attracting 10,000 to 12,000 fans — both from Hawai'i and Island transplants living on the Mainland — to the last two appearances at Las Vegas.

In addition, the Hawai'i Chamber of Commerce of Northern California has hosted functions for Hawai'i fans at one of UH's West Coast games each season. Friday's game at San Jose State will mark the ninth annual event.

Eric Tao, San Francisco-based president of the Hawai'i Chamber of Commerce of Northern California, said past events have drawn 3,000 to 4,000 with Hawai'i ties. Horrell is scheduled to attend tomorrow night's Warrior Pre-game Party at the Hukilau San Jose, one of three events in the "Road Warriors Tailgate 2007" weekend.

"Some years literally a quarter of the San Jose stadium crowd has been Hawai'i fans," Tao said. Spartan Stadium seats 31,218.

Frazier said San Jose State officials told him they were pleased about the prospect of a large UH turnout.

Should UH continue to win, Horrell said it is likely the bowl would send representatives to the Nov. 23 UH-Boise State and Dec. 1 UH-Washington games at Aloha Stadium.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@honoluluadvertiser.com.