Significant
stadium moments
BILLED as a $35 million white elephant by critics when it was completed in 1975, Aloha Stadium has had more than 22 million fans go through its turnstiles in its 25-year history.
To celebrate the past 25 years, here's my list of the 25 most significant sporting events at Aloha Stadium.
Not surprisingly, the University of Hawaii football team -- the main reason why Gov. John A. Burns wanted Aloha Stadium built -- figured in many of the Top 25.
A chronological look:
The Rainbows play in the stadium's very first event but disappoint 32,247 fans, losing to Texas A&I, 43-9 (Sept. 13, 1975).
Kamehameha beats Waianae, 20-14, before 30,201 fans in Prep Bowl III, the first at Aloha Stadium (Nov. 27, 1975).
Soccer legend Pele leads the New York Cosmos over Team Japan before 21,705 in Aloha Soccer Festival (April 7, 1976).
Hawaii Islanders begin first of a 12-year run after 15 years at Honolulu Stadium. Spokane's Jimmy Rosario hits the ball park's first home run, while Joe Pepitone the first for the home team which wins, 5-4, in 13 innings (April 9, 1976).
The San Francisco 49ers beat San Diego's Chargers, 17-16, in an NFL preseason game before 36,364 (Aug. 21, 1976).
Islanders draw PCL record crowds of 25,189 on April 29 and 33,903 with discount tickets on the Fourth of July during the 1977 season.
Waianae upends Kamehameha, 14-6, before 32,812 fans -- the biggest Prep Bowl crowd ever (Nov. 30, 1978).
UH pulls near upset of Rose Bowl-bound USC before losing in fourth-quarter, 21-5, before 48,767 (Dec. 2, 1978).
Derek Tatsuno pitches Rainbows to an 11-1 victory over UNLV before 18,348 fans -- the largest crowd to see a regular-season college baseball game (May 19, 1979).
San Diego Padres beat Seibu Lions in a three-game exhibition series (March, 1979).
Honolulu becomes the first non-NFL city to host the Pro Bowl as the AFC beat the NFC, 37-27, before 49,800 fans (Jan. 27, 1980).
Lightweight Andy Ganigan and South African Gerry Coetzee, both sixth-ranked by WBA, win in the facility's first boxing card (March 14, 1981).
Washington beats Maryland, 21-20, in the inaugural Aloha Bowl (Dec. 25, 1982).
A sellout crowd of 50,000 saw UH come within a Walter Murray catch of upsetting eventual national champion BYU, 18-13 (Sept. 9, 1984).
Olympian Duncan Macdonald wins inaugural Great Aloha Run, which drew 11,000 contestants (March 3, 1985).
UH ends years of frustration in blasting BYU, 56-14, as Garrett Gabriel runs and passes for 622 yards (Oct. 28, 1989).
Rainbows play in first NCAA bowl game, losing to Michigan State, 33-13, in the Aloha Bowl (Dec. 25, 1989).
Gabriel again (this time with 667 total yards) leads Rainbows to a romp over BYU, 59-28 (Dec. 1, 1990).
UH nearly upsets Notre Dame, 48-42, with a dramatic fourth-quarter comeback (Nov. 30, 1991).
UH clinches first WAC football title, beating Wyoming, 42-18 (Nov. 21, 1992).
Former Rainbow stars Jesse Sapolu and Mark Tuinei play side-by-side on NFC line in the Pro Bowl (Feb. 5, 1995).
St. Louis and San Diego play a 3-game National League series drawing 77,432 fans, including record baseball crowd of 40,050 on April 20, 1997.
NCAA first football doubleheader as Oahu Bowl joins Aloha Bowl (Dec. 25, 1998).
St. Louis beats Kahuku, in first state football championship game (Dec. 4, 1999).
Under new coach June Jones, UH caps NCAA's best one-season turnaround, beating Oregon State in the Oahu Bowl, 23-17 (Dec. 25, 1999).
