Friday, September 21, 2001
[ UH FOOTBALL ]
BYU asks UH HAWAII'S FOOTBALL GAME with Brigham Young may be moved to Dec. 8 to accommodate the Cougars, who are trying to reschedule their nonconference meeting with Mississippi State to Dec. 1.
for date switch
Hawaii will push the football
game back a week to Dec. 8
only if ESPN will televise itNevada coach, captain have Hawaii connections
By Paul Arnett
parnett@starbulletin.comThe Hawaii athletic department has agreed to the switch, Mountain West Conference commissioner Craig Thompson told the Salt Lake Tribune this week, as long as the game is televised by ESPN-TV.
That may prove to be the sticking point, because ESPN is wary of the costs of producing a game from the island chain. If the sports network had its way, it would prefer Colorado State move its home game with Fresno State from Oct. 13 to Oct. 12 so it can televise it nationally on a Friday night.
"Because of the cancellations last week, ESPN owes the WAC and the Mountain West a game each," WAC commissioner Karl Benson said last night. "They are looking to get one game between the two conferences to even things out and they're considering several options.
"This is between BYU and Hawaii. If they can reach a deal, our league won't discourage it or encourage it. But my guess is ESPN wants to show Fresno State because of their national rating. So, if that's part of the arrangement between BYU and Hawaii that it be televised, then I don't think moving the game back a weekend is a done deal."
UH athletic director Hugh Yoshida was en route to Reno for Hawaii's WAC opener with the University of Nevada tomorrow at 10 a.m. and was unavailable for comment.
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