Size of stadium less important to UH than revenue growth

The University of Hawaii would be fine with a new, slightly smaller Aloha Stadium but is more concerned about an opportunity to generate revenue there, President David Lassner said.

“We don’t have an institutional position on what should be done with Aloha Stadium,” Lassner told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser editorial board. “I think our real interest is in having a great venue for our (program), particularly football, and if we were to do other events there, we would like there to be a situation where the stadium is a revenue source rather than a cost for us,” Lassner said.

The Aloha Stadium Authority earlier this month recommended replacing the current 50,000-seat stadium with a 30,000- to 35,000-seat facility expandable to more than 40,000 for special events, and there are several bills before the state Legislature dealing with the future of the rusting 42-year-old facility.

UH is one of two schools in the 12-member Mountain West Conference — San Diego State is the other — that does not own or operate its stadium.

UH pays, on average, about $90,000 per game in operating costs to play its home contests at Aloha Stadium.

It shares in some parking revenue and may sell signage at field level but does not receive revenue from concessions or other signage. Aloha Stadium depends on self-generated funds to pay for salaries and operating costs.

“Without pointing fingers, because the Stadium Authority is in tough spot with an aging facility that doesn’t generate a whole lot of revenue and has extensive repair and maintenance, we would like to be in a situation where more of the benefits associated with our activities that generate revenue come back to our program,” Lassner said.

“Smaller would be OK with us,” Lassner said. “We don’t need that (50,000) big of a number. I mean, we’re not objecting to the numbers that are out there. We’re not going to stand up and shout, ‘No, no, it must be as big as Aloha Stadium!’ The 35,000-ish seems pretty reasonable. There are other Division I football teams that play in a stadium of that size.”

While the the state wrestles with the future of Aloha Stadium, several of UH’s peer institutions in the Mountain West Conference are building new ones or upgrading existing stadiums.

Colorado State is scheduled to open its new, 40,000-seat, $220 million on-campus stadium — Sonny Lubick Field at Colorado State Stadium — in the fall.

Fresno State has engaged a design firm for the renovation of Bulldog Stadium and is seeking a naming sponsor.

San Diego State waits to see what will happen to its 50-year-old Qualcomm Stadium now that the Chargers have left San Diego.