[ UH ATHLETICS ]
ESPN will likely televise
3 UH gamesThe WAC's TV contract is close
to being finalized
Hawaii's football games at Boise State and Fresno State and home game against Michigan State this season will likely be televised by ESPN, a Western Athletic Conference official said.
The WAC's new contract with ESPN is not yet finalized. But the league, network and schools involved have tentatively agreed on the games to be shown.
"Nothing's set in stone. It's still not signed," WAC associate commissioner Jeff Hurd said. "But it's pretty close. It's just contractual language and it could be done in seven to 10 days."
ESPN taking the Boise State and Fresno State games (originally scheduled for Oct. 30 and Nov. 14) is dependent on the home schools being willing to move the games from Saturday to Friday. Both schools have moved games to Friday for TV in the past.
UH's Oct. 16 game at Texas-El Paso was originally slated for ESPN, but the Miners balked.
"UTEP will not move to Friday. Not only is it their homecoming, it's their 90th anniversary and they have several things already planned. We thought UTEP was all set, but then it wasn't," Hurd said. "It will not be on ESPN."
UH athletic director Herman Frazier has said he will not move Warriors home games to Friday for TV because it causes logistical problems, especially for fans.
ESPN will likely not require the Michigan State at Hawaii game to be moved from Saturday, Dec. 4.
"At that time of year (with most teams' regular seasons done), they don't feel it has to be changed," Hurd said.
The WAC's new contract with ESPN pays the league "triple" the $400,000 per year the previous one did for broadcast rights, league commissioner Karl Benson said.
PPV packages available: The Hawaii home games that are not broadcast nationally are available live on pay per view for the third year.
The price for a season package on Oahu is raised to $150, or $125 for last year's customers who renew by July 31, said John Fink, president of KFVE, which provides pay per view in conjunction with UH and Oceanic Cablevision.
In some cases, purchasers will pay less per game this year.
"It's a seven-game package compared to five last year," Fink said.
Those who would save from last year (per game) are subscribers who paid $100 for five games in 2003 (early renewals paid $75) and renew by this year's deadline. Neighbor-island subscribers ($55 for new, $40 for renewal, $40 last year) will also pay less per game, based on seven games.
Single-game prices are $35 on Oahu and $15 on the Neighbor Islands (except the Northwestern game, which will be $45 and $20).
Those prices signify increases of $10 and $5.
Pay per view can be ordered by calling 625-8100.
Coach's show bids in: KFVE and Oceanic are competing for the rights to UH football coach June Jones' weekly in-season TV show. Both submitted proposals last week.
UH will likely announce the winning bid next week, according to associate athletic director John McNamara.
Last year, Russell Shimooka owned the show that appeared on Oceanic. If Oceanic, which now owns it, gets the bid, Shimooka will continue to host and produce it.
"(Oceanic's bid) is very lucrative for the university, and creative," Shimooka said. "The show will be a mix of new and old, building on the success of some things and going in a different direction in others."
KFVE, which has the contract to televise UH games, previously did coaches shows for various Warriors, Rainbows and Wahine sports. Veteran UH play-by-play man Jim Leahey would likely host, as he has in the past.
"We've given them options for a couple of different ideas if we're the ones," Fink said. "We're going to wait and see what happens before we talk about details."