TV deal hard Hawaii's new television contract with KHNL/KFVE features football on pay-per-view, which could generate income for the UH athletic programs. It also creates an opportunity for Oahu residents to watch the games live on TV that they didn't have before.
on neighbor islanders
They dislike the thought
of paying to watch UH footballBy Dave Reardon and Gary Kubota
dreardon@starbulletin.com gkubota@starbulletin.comBut fans on the neighbor islands will now have to pay for something they previously got for free. And they're not all happy about it.
Former Rainbow linebacker Harold Naumu lives in Lihue and is one of Kauai's biggest UH fans. But he's very unhappy that he will have to pay $5 a game (or $25 for seven home games) to watch UH live on TV. Previously, neighbor-islanders got the games free, live, because they didn't have easy access to attending games.
"It's terrible. UH is going to the dogs," Naumu said. "First going from Rainbows to Warriors. Now this. I think it's a bad mistake. People on the neighbor islands will be resentful. Everybody I talk to feels the same way. We stay pissed off."
Another former UH player who lives on Kauai, Kendall Goo, is also disappointed.
"I think it's unfair to our island's people. Traditionally everyone on the outer islands could watch live. That's the closest they could get to being in the stadium. Now some will go back to listening on the radio," said Goo, a former offensive lineman who now owns a martial arts school on the Garden Island. "I don't think UH will lose support, because people here love UH football. But it's too bad the school couldn't find other outlets money-wise."
On Maui, some residents said they enjoyed watching the UH games but wouldn't pay to see them on TV when they can view pro games for free.
"Why don't they get more advertisers?" said Eric Elson, a carpenter watching sports on TV at the Ale House in Kahului.
Robert J. Funk, a windsurfing and surfing instructor, said rather than watch UH football on pay TV, he'd watch the sports news highlights about the games and listen to them on the radio.
"I wouldn't pay for it. I think it sucks," said Funk, watching sports on television at Manana Garage in Kahului.
Yesterday morning, UH Vice President Paul Costello said the school hadn't received any complaints yet.
"We hope they understand we need to make up a sizable deficit, and that they're still getting a break," Costello said. "We've ensured that they will still pay less than on Oahu."
Also, games will be showed for free at 10 p.m. on game-night throughout the state.
Viewers on Oahu will pay $12.95 per game, or $75 for the seven-game package.
Another potential pitfall is a decline in attendance if fans who previously went to games decide to stay home and watch them live on TV instead.
"Sure that's a concern. But my belief is that the fan who wants the game experience is still going to be there because they also enjoy the camaraderie with friends, the tailgating, the whole experience," Costello said.
Season-ticket holder Gordon Wong falls into that group.
"I've had season tickets for many years and I like being there," the Kaneohe resident said. "I don't know if it will affect attendance. But I think it will be something attractive to some people who can't go, or who may choose not to go through the hassle. I think in general it's a win-win situation, except for the neighbor-island fans. It's hard when you take something away that was free."
Incoming athletics director Herman Frazier is wrapping things up as AD at Alabama at Birmingham and starts at UH on Aug. 1. He said he will keep a close eye on the pay-per-view situation. The new contract is for three years, with options for two more years.
"We'll look closely at our attendance averages, especially for big games," Frazier said. "It will take a little analysis."
Warriors coach June Jones said he thinks it's worth a try.
"It's a situation where nobody really knows what will happen because we haven't done it before," he said. "The thing to remember is that we had two games last year that were shown live and it didn't seem to affect our attendance in a negative way."
Only one UH game at Aloha Stadium was a sellout last year -- the season-ender against Brigham Young. Traffic congestion, limited parking and security measures have combined to make going to the stadium an unattractive venture for some.
"Obviously there are some obstacles," Costello said. "Aloha Stadium seems to be one of them. We'll have to work on that."
UH Athletics
