Could Saturday's University of Hawai'i football game at Idaho be the last time season-ticket holders have to pay to watch a Warriors' road game?

Say it is so.

The Idaho game is the final football road game of UH's pay-per-view package this season and with their television contract up for renegotiation in 2008, UH officials say they will look into ways to spare season-ticket holders having to sign up for future pay-per-view road games.

That's both good news and an idea whose time has come for those who shoulder the brunt of underwriting Warriors football and, by extension, much of the 19-sport UH athletic program.

The encouraging thing is that UH is coming around on the idea, too. "I think there is an acknowledgement by everybody that it is something we have to look into," said John McNamara, UH associate athletic director. "We're always looking for ways to reward and thank our season-ticket holders. They are the lifeblood of this department."

In 2006, UH worked out a deal whereby season-ticket holders got the season opener from Alabama free. But the logistics involved in coordinating the three participating entities, UH, KFVE and Oceanic Time Warner Cable, apparently caused the issue to be put on the back burner this year.

Now, with some lead time and the fresh ground a new contract will afford, UH is willing to take a longer, more innovative look at the issue. Good thing, too, because next year UH is going to have to work hard to maintain the current season-ticket level of 22,300.

Without quarterback Colt Brennan and with most of its marquee games — Florida, Oregon State, Boise State and Fresno State — on the road next season, if you're UH, you definitely need to find ways to keep your season-ticket buyers happy. Asking them to shell out a couple hundred bucks more for pay-per-view road games on top of what they pay for their seats at home and, for many, premium fees, probably isn't the best way to go about it.

Part of the problem for UH is that it has asked KFVE for some steep upfront money — $1.75 million — on its current TV contract. And every time ESPN snatches a game away from Jim Leahey & Co., which it is doing four times this year (San Jose State, Nevada, Boise State and Washington), it impacts KFVE's ability to recoup the investment. So, guess who ends up paying?

Ideally, you'd like to see UH road games shown back home free to all, since it isn't like a whole lot of people can jump on planes to fly to, well, Moscow, Idaho, to see the Warriors. Like $2-a-gallon gas, unfortunately those days are gone.

But it shouldn't be too much to ask that when somebody purchases a season ticket, especially with everything that can come attached, they do, in fact, get a ticket for the whole season. Not just the home games.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8044.