Thursday, July 26, 2001
UH-FSU game RENO, Nevada >> If you're wondering about the starting time for the University of Hawaii's nationally televised game with Fresno State the last weekend in October, you're not alone.
time in question
Hawaii has said the Oct. 26 game
will start at 4 p.m, but WAC
officials say it will start at 3 p.m.By Paul Arnett
parnett@starbulletin.comWarriors athletic director Hugh Yoshida is convinced it's 4 p.m. locally, but he may be wrong. Western Athletic Conference commissioner Karl Benson and associate Jeff Hurd are almost certain it's 3 p.m. and said so at yesterday's WAC football media day at the Reno Hilton.
"I'm fairly sure kickoff is set for 9 p.m. on the East Coast," Benson said. "The mainland doesn't go back to standard time until two days later, so the time difference remains six hours. To me, a 3 p.m. kickoff time locally in Hawaii is better than 4."
If you want to see Benson get riled, ask him why there were so many problems with Hawaii finally agreeing to move the game from Saturday to Friday. It didn't jeopardize the new television deal with ESPN-TV that will add about $100,000 to the coffers of the 10-team league, but it didn't help.
"When we first proposed it, they were all for it because it would give them a chance to have their game in the national papers on Saturday," Benson said. "They told us to go ahead because they were excited about playing on ESPN and the exposure it would give the school. Then suddenly, everything changes and they start talking about losing money, up to $150,000 at the gate. It was very frustrating for all concerned."
Round 2 for Benson will be in two weeks. He will return to Hawaii to hammer out a deal that will move Hawaii's game with the Air Force Academy to the day after Thanksgiving. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. Hawaii time.
"And that's a completely different deal because it's a holiday weekend," Benson said. "Hugh told me to call the president and discuss it with him directly. Sometimes, member teams are called upon to do what's good for the league.
"We're not going to force anyone to play on Friday nights. But I would think moving the Hawaii high school semifinals in football from Friday to Saturday wouldn't be a problem if given enough lead time."
The WAC is also working on a regional deal with the Fox Network that will broadcast as many as five games to local markets around the league. Hawaii's game at Southern Methodist is the only one being looked at by Benson at this time.
"We're close to announcing something on that, maybe next week," Benson said. "We're excited about these new television packages and we want our schools to be, too. It's a start for maybe something bigger down the road."
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