University of Hawai'i athletic department staff members who took spouses, children or friends to the 2008 Sugar Bowl on the school's dime will not face charges, the Hawai'i State Ethics Commission announced yesterday.

In concluding a 14-month review, the commission said in a written statement that it has "found insufficient evidence in this case to warrant pursuing charges against any individual for violating the state ethics code."

However, the commission said the school should establish a "written policy containing specific guidelines applicable to the university's participation in postseason football events, subject to review by the commission, in order to comport with the state ethics code."

At issue was UH's travel practices that involved nearly 600 people traveling to, attending or receiving accommodations for the Jan. 1, 2008, football game against Georgia in New Orleans. UH has said it paid nearly $2 million for the group that included football players, coaches, band members, staff members, officials, family members and some guests.

With regard to children and significant others attending, "We felt the university enunciated a justification," said Dan Mollway, executive director of the commission. "People who went had a legitimate reason for their going."

Mollway said UH's actions were in line with what "peer institutions" were doing as well as the requirements of the bowl which wanted UH to demonstrate a significant presence at the event.

In a letter to Manoa Chancellor Virginia S. Hinshaw, Mollway said, "The commission concluded that the Sugar Bowl presented unique circumstances for the University of Hawai'i, and that organizing the trip to New Orleans for a large contingency from Hawai'i under extreme time constraints was a significant undertaking for the university. Because the invitation to the Sugar Bowl was a 'first' for the university, the university did not have a written policy in place that applied specifically to a postseason football event of this magnitude, which required travel to the Mainland for a great number of individuals.

"The commission found no evidence of bad faith on the part of the University of Hawai'i in terms of the decisions that were made by the university concerning travel to the Sugar Bowl."

The review began in June of 2008. In February 2009 the commission sent UH an extensive list of follow-up questions. The school delivered a 48-page response two months ago.

The commission announced it is closing its reviews.

The Advertiser filed a lawsuit in May in an effort to get the university to disclose a complete list of the people who traveled to the Sugar Bowl. The suit was dropped after UH issued an apology, promised improved openness and agreed to pay the newspaper's attorneys fees.