In a hearing before state legislators yesterday, University of Hawai'i President David McClain said he will seek a combination of state and private funds to revitalize athletic facilities in the wake of the departure of June Jones as football coach.

Pointing toward the recent high-profile donation of $25 million by Jay Shidler to the UH College of Business, McClain told lawmakers that the university intends to look toward private help, as well as money from the state.

Jones cited the university's poor athletic facilities as one of his reasons for leaving Hawai'i for Southern Methodist University in Dallas.

The success of the UH football team last year will likely lead to more private money coming into the program.

"I've ... had a number of private sector people turn to me and say, 'We now understand something we didn't get before: We understand the transformational power of Warrior football in this state,' " McClain told legislators.

Earlier this month when McClain was trying to keep Jones from leaving UH for SMU, McClain offered to make improvements to UH athletic facilities that one lawmaker estimated would cost $25 million.

CORE MISSION

At the informational briefing yesterday before members of the Senate committee on education and the House committee on higher education, the conversation was dominated by questions about other aspects of the university's budget. Still some questions were asked about facility requests in the aftermath of Jones' departure.

McClain said that university officials must prioritize its requests to the state when it comes to facilities.

"The other part of the story is we have to deliver all the other academic parts," McClain said. "Our core mission of the university is still academic. Athletics is complementary to that mission, but it's not the core mission."

The university is requesting some $100 million in its capital improvement budget, which includes money to renovate athletic offices, locker rooms and other athletic facilities.

State Rep. K. Mark Takai, D-34th (Newtown, Waiau, Pearl City), said he will ask lawmakers to support about $25 million in line-item construction money for UH athletic facilities.

Several state senators also were discussing new money for the athletic department, but less than Takai's request.

DESIGNATING PRIORITIES

State Sen. Norman Sakamoto, D-15th (Waimalu, Airport, Salt Lake), chairman of the Senate committee on education, said he agreed with McClain that the university must prioritize where it spends its repair and maintenance money.

He cited examples on the UH-Manoa campus such as Hamilton Library, which is still reeling from the devastating 2004 Manoa flood, and Edmondson Hall, which suffered a fire and flood in October.

"Where should athletics fall with other big-ticket items?" Sakamoto asked.

McClain told lawmakers that each campus sets it own priority for campus repair and maintenance and then submits that to the university system. From there, the university submits a complete request to lawmakers.

McClain told lawmakers the requests for money were submitted by October of last year, long before Jones decided to leave as head coach. However, it isn't too late to reprioritize Manoa's needs.

"The priority will be based on campus needs. ... I think the difference now between the situation on Oct. 1 and the situation here on Jan. 14 is that the entire community has seen the transformative power of Warrior football," McClain said.

Reach Loren Moreno at lmoreno@honoluluadvertiser.com.