The defending Western Athletic Conference champion University of Hawai'i football team has been cast in a spoiler role for 2008.

The release of the WAC schedule yesterday sets the stage for what ESPN and the conference apparently hope will be a Nov. 28 championship showdown between Boise State and Fresno State on the blue carpet in Boise.

Just as in 2007 when the final conference weekend was an artful pairing of UH and Boise State, the network hopes to have the conference race build to a title finish this year.

UH's 39-27 victory over Boise State for the WAC title was seen in 2.65 million households, making it the biggest audience of any ESPN2 game and the largest of 14 Friday night games on the various ESPN properties. That came despite a 9 p.m. (Eastern) and 6 p.m. (Pacific) kickoff.

"Every year ESPN looks over the games seeking the best possible and potentially most interesting matchups in the conferences it has contracts with," said Jeff Hurd, WAC associate commissioner. "Sometimes they work out. Sometimes they don't. It is a long season and a lot of things can happen before the end of November."

Last season's planning delivered what was termed the "biggest (football) game in WAC history," a showdown of then-unbeaten 10-0 UH and once-beaten Boise State with the WAC title and a Bowl Championship Series berth on the line.

Preseason predictions have Boise State and Fresno State expected to battle for the WAC crown in 2008. Both return sizeable parts of their lineups and both host UH.

The Warriors play in Fresno Oct. 4 and at Boise Friday, Oct. 17, games that will say a lot about the Warriors' chances of defending their first outright WAC football title.

The Warriors open with two BCS conference opponents on the road in the first three weeks - Florida on Aug. 30 and Oregon State on Sept. 13 - and have two open dates (Sept. 20 and Nov. 15).

Both open dates will be well-timed. The first coming after the Oregon State game and the second following back-to-back road games at Utah State (Nov. 1) and New Mexico State (Nov. 8).

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@honoluluadvertiser.com.