Jones wants Tide Now that Alabama and Hawaii have finally reached an agreement to meet here Nov. 30, June Jones would like to make the matchup an annual event.
to come in annually
The UH coach hopes the Warriors'
first-ever meeting with
Alabama is not their lastStar-Bulletin staff
"I'm hoping that it's for the next five years," Jones said yesterday at a press conference to officially announce the game, which will be played at 3 p.m. and televised nationally by ESPN.
"I told them when I first heard that (Alabama) might be put on probation for five years to call and get 'em on the schedule for five straight."
Alabama is ineligible for bowl or postseason competition for the next two years due to NCAA sanctions, pending an appeal hearing in August. But a 13th regular-season game at Hawaii was cleared by the NCAA and the Southeastern Conference.
"It'll be like a bowl game for them, coming over here," Jones said. "So there will be a lot of excitement."
Said Alabama director of athletics Mal Moore in a UA release: "It was an excellent opportunity to play a game that we would not ordinarily get to play."
"It will certainly stretch our season," Alabama coach Dennis Franchione said, "but the team voted unanimously to participate in the game."
Jones laughed when asked about renewing his sometimes heated rivalry with Franchione, the once head coach for former WAC opponent Texas Christian.
"He's just kicked our butt a couple times since I've been here," Jones said.
All times Hawaii time UH schedule
>> Aug. 31, Eastern Illinois, 6:05 p.m.
>> Sept. 6, at Brigham Young (ESPN), 1 p.m.
>> Sept. 21, at UTEP*, 3:05 p.m.
>> Sept. 28, SMU*, 6:05 p.m.
>> Oct. 5, at Boise State*, 2:05 p.m.
>> Oct. 12, Nevada*, 6:05 p.m.
>> Oct. 19, Tulsa*, 6:05 p.m.
>> Oct. 25, at Fresno State* (ESPN2), TBA
>> Nov. 2, San Jose State*, 6:05 p.m.
>> Nov. 16, at Rice*, 10 a.m.
>> Nov. 23, Cincinnati, 6:05 p.m.
>> Nov. 30, Alabama, 3:05 p.m. (ESPN)
>> Dec. 7, San Diego State, 6:05 p.m.
* WAC game
He noted that it had been some time since Hawaii had played a football program with a history as storied as Alabama's -- or at least some time since such a game was competitive.
"I felt like that first year, against USC, wasn't quite as exciting as it needed to be," Jones said. "But I felt like in three or four years that we could get to where we needed to be, talent-wise. More depth-wise, I think, when you play those caliber of teams, you have to be sometimes three and four deep into spots. And, you know, we weren't that way, but I think we are now.
"We have some depth and playing those teams ... you know you've got a chance to survive," he said.
Hawaii is filling the date vacated after Washington State opted out of a previously scheduled meeting. Jones said a Tim Chang-Jason Gesser quarterback battle of St. Louis School alums would have been fun, but ...
"But Alabama," with its 12 national championships, "is, you know, I mean Alabama is Alabama."
With Alabama involved the game gets bigger.
"It'll be fun for our players to see if they can beat 'em," Jones said. "And I know Alabama has a lot of talent. They're going to be a lot better football team than us, but that doesn't really mean anything on Saturday night at (kickoff) sometimes."
Alabama last played in Hawaii in 1985, when the Crimson Tide defeated USC 24-3 in the Aloha Bowl.
UH's last game against an SEC opponent was in 1975, when it lost to Tennessee 28-6 at Aloha Stadium.
This year's game is one of three on the 2002 schedule to be broadcast by ESPN. The other two are at Brigham Young on Sept. 6 and at Fresno State on Oct. 25. That game will be shown on ESPN2.
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