It’s ‘90 percent’ bowl
to Christmas EveThe Sheraton Hawaii Bowl will
likely be moved up a day to avoid
going up against an NFL game
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas ... Christmas Eve, that is, for the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl.
"I think that the NFL is going to take Christmas," Hawaii Bowl executive director Jim Donovan said this week. "And if that's the case, we will take Christmas Eve. That's the feedback I'm getting from my bosses (ESPN Regional, which owns the game). I'd say it's about 90 percent that the game will be on Christmas Eve."
The first two Hawaii Bowls were played on Christmas, and ESPN was pleased with the ratings of both telecasts. But the cable network does not want to go up against the NFL.
Meanwhile at the gate, regardless of the day it is played on, Donovan knows a game around the holidays can be a tough sell -- even if the University of Hawaii is playing.
Last year's game, a 54-48 triple-overtime UH victory against Houston, had an announced Aloha Stadium attendance of 25,551 after 31,535 went to the first Hawaii Bowl the previous year. The game must average 25,000 for three years beginning with the 2003 attendance to retain NCAA certification.
"That's the more looming issue for me as management," Donovan said.
Hawaii coach June Jones and others have suggested blacking out the local telecast of the game to get more people to go to it.
Sheraton in: While the Hawaii Bowl will likely undergo several changes, its title sponsor won't be one of them again. Sheraton officials say they are in for the long haul.
"We are committed," said David Uchiyama, regional director of communications for Starwood Hotels and Resorts in Hawaii. "When we went in, it was largely due to what we saw as a need for Hawaii as a community and the University of Hawaii to have a venue where we could showcase our state as a destination.
"The exposure for Hawaii overall, I think it's unbelievable, when you take into consideration it's when the cold is hitting the East. From a marketing standpoint, it's excellent."
If UH isn't in the game, Uchiyama said, the public must go to the game or risk losing it.
"I think too much has been put on whether UH plays in it or not," he said. "If we as a community don't support this game we could lose a bowl game for a second time. I know people were not happy when we lost the Aloha Bowl."
ConAgra Foods was title sponsor of the 2002 Hawaii Bowl.
Still counting: Because of the decrease in ticket sales, the 2003 game probably lost money after the 2002 game made a profit.
"We don't have the final numbers yet," Donovan said.
He said he will soon, though, since they will be needed for the game's annual recertification hearing April 19-22 in New Orleans.
Vili out?: Hawaii bowl officials will brainstorm to come up with a new advertising and marketing plan for next year's game, Donovan said.
"We got some criticism that we didn't freshen up a new campaign for last year's game," Donovan said.
Vili Fehoko, UH's unofficial mascot the past several seasons, might not be involved in Hawaii Bowl advertisements in the future, Donovan said.
"There's definitely a possibility we'll come up with a different advertising campaign that doesn't use Vili," he said.
Fehoko's future at UH regular-season games is also being reviewed by the school's athletic department after some complaints about his interaction with other team's mascots and cheerleaders drew national attention.
How many wins?: UH must win at least seven of its 12 regular-season games to qualify for the Hawaii Bowl this year, but a victory against Florida Atlantic would not count toward the seven, Donovan said.
Florida Atlantic, a newcomer from Division I-AA, has not had enough scholarships players over the past three years to qualify as a full-fledged Division I-A opponent.