Frazier targeting top
schools for schedule
Hawaii is trying to set up football games with Brigham Young, UCLA, Arizona State, Alabama and Kansas, UH athletic director Herman Frazier said yesterday.
UH has been in contact with representatives from those schools in recent days, as Frazier addresses nonconference scheduling. The Warriors are set only through 2005. For 2006, they have a home game against Purdue and a tentative game at UNLV slated, and need two more home opponents.
The Western Athletic Conference added Idaho last week. Now that UH knows how its conference schedule will be formatted, it can schedule out-of-league easier, Frazier said.
"We wanted to wait and see what the conference was going to do," he said. "I'm trying to put us in a situation where we're not playing too many nonconference road games. Now we know it's going to be four-and-four (home and road conference games). We want to have one nonconference road game per season for a total of five."
Frazier wants to resume the series with rival Brigham Young as soon as possible. The Warriors last played the Cougars in 2002, losing 35-32 at Provo. The UH athletic director said BYU might owe Hawaii a game here from the previous contract, but it is not known if the contract had an escape clause.
"I've had e-mails yesterday and today with (BYU athletic director) Val Hale," Frazier said. "I think they'll want a home and home."
Kansas has approached UH about possible football and basketball games, he said.
A road football game with Alabama, which lost to Hawaii here last fall after beating the Warriors in 2002, could be in the offing.
"We'll take a look and see what fits between us and Alabama. I promised (Alabama athletic director) Mal Moore that we would do that."
Discussions are also under way regarding a football game or series with Arizona State. Hawaii is 1-5 against the Sun Devils; they haven't played since 1979.
HTA OKs Pro Bowl: The Pro Bowl moved another step closer to at least five more years at Aloha Stadium yesterday. The Hawaii Tourism Authority board approved a proposed contract with the NFL at the HTA's meeting on the Big Island.
"There was a substantial amount of discussion, but I think all the questions were answered," HTA negotiator Rex Johnson said. "Essentially the board said keep moving along the lines you're moving along and get the contract squared away."
Last February, the HTA and NFL agreed on major points of a contract to keep the game here through 2009. Owners of the league's 32 teams voted unanimously in favor of the contract last month.
The Pro Bowl has been played at Aloha Stadium the past 25 years. The state paid $5.3 million for hosting rights last year. As part of the new contract, the state will pay less, HTA board member Larry Johnson said in February.
Season tickets available next week: UH football season tickets go on sale Monday morning for the Warriors' eight-game home schedule.
Prices range from $77 (students) to $145, plus premium seat donation. Premium seat donations range from $30 to $300. There is a $10 handling charge per order.
Tickets can be bought at the Stan Sheriff Center Box Office, by calling (808) 944-2697, or online at etickethawaii.com.
No hard feelings: WAC commissioner Karl Benson harbors no ill-will toward his Conference USA counterpart, Britton Banowsky, even though C-USA is taking four schools from his league next year. They remain friends enough for Benson to lend Banowsky his cell phone to answer a query about the new shape of his conference. The commissioners were in town yesterday for Sheraton Hawaii Bowl meetings.
"The baseline for all that (realignment) is geography," Banowsky said after Benson passed him the phone as they shared a cab after dinner. "The schools in the southwest bring a lot of close geography and potential for rivalry."
The leagues can settle some grudges at the Hawaii Bowl, since both leagues plan to continue their association with the Dec. 24 game.
"We've got no intention of being anything but a strong supporter of the Hawaii Bowl," Banowsky said. "We have a couple more years to go in our current agreement and we hope to bring some great teams in there."
Benson said UH will represent the WAC in the game as long as the Warriors are eligible.
Short yardage: Benson has been mum about the conference's new TV contract with ESPN because it has not been announced by the network yet. But yesterday, Benson said during a KKEA-1420 radio interview the new contract is "triple" the amount of the old one. Judging from the previous deal, the new contract will bring the 10-team WAC slightly more than $1 million. ... Quarterback Tim Chang and cornerback Abraham Elimimian will represent UH, along with coach June Jones, at the WAC's football media preview next month in Reno, Nev.