What's more, the proposal would allow the athletic department to raise prices at will, without the need for a public hearing, so long as the receipts become part of the department's intercollegiate athletics revolving fund.

UH Athletics Director Hugh Yoshida told the committee yesterday if House Bill 1663 is approved by the Legislature, there could ir,8p,8p be select-game pricing for UH sporting events where top teams compete against the university.

For example, Yoshida said, the UH could raise ticket prices by $5 for a Notre Dame-Hawaii football game or for NCAA events or postseason tournaments played at UH athletic facilities.

Such changes, commented Rep. Gene Ward (R, Mariner's Ridge-Aina Haina), would allow the university to charge "what the market will bear."

The bill would clarify language allowing the university to deposit receipts, donations, gifts and other income generated by the athletic program into the UH intercollegiate athletic revolving fund solely for the department's use.

The revolving fund currently has a balance of $11 million, Yoshida said.

The measure, however, goes on to exempt money generated for the fund from state public proceedings law.

That means the UH could change ticket prices for games, rental rates at the Special Events Arena or fees for certain programs without receiving public testimony on the price increases.

"These provisions," Yoshida explained, "would provide the university and its intercollegiate athletics programs the flexibility that would be necessary to expand its revenue base and thereby maintain the viability and quality of its services to students and the community."

Budget cuts to the UH in recent years have prompted the UH administration to reduce general fund allocation to athletics, forcing the department to become self-supporting.

UH athletics will lose about $1 million in general fund appropriations over the next two years.