The University of Hawaii doesn’t need a 13th football game this year unless it can make money doing it.

And that looks pretty iffy right now — the finances and the viability of the game itself.

Even if UH can jump through all the other hoops necessary to host the Temple Owls on the second weekend of December, it would face a huge public relations and financial problem (as if it hasn’t had enough of those lately).

Here’s why: Last offseason UH fans were promised no increase in season-ticket package prices. Technically, the promise was kept. But what they weren’t told is there would be one fewer home game than the previous season, six instead of seven, as UH did not schedule the allowable 13 games. So the price per game went up.

For UH to live up to what’s left of its promise of no price increase, it would have to let season-ticket holders in free to this seventh home game.

With that factor in play, what kind of a walk-up crowd would you need to at least break even? Remember, we’re talking about people who are just on a whim going to decide to pay to go watch the worst Hawaii team in more than a decade play a mediocre Big East team.

Sure, UH could try to charge its season-ticket holders … that is, if it wants to play chicken with the loyalty of its most supportive fans at the end of a losing season. See how many stay home. See how many don’t come back.

This matchup was a lot more attractive last summer, and it wasn’t even very pretty then.

When the phone rang in July and it was the Temple Owls looking for a game this fall, UH said, "Thanks, but no thanks."

We can assume the conversation included the courtesy add-on of, "Perhaps another time."

Another time came quickly. Temple — with just 11 games on its schedule — contacted UH again last week, asking coach Norm Chow if a game here in December might be possible.

In the summer UH didn’t want a 13th game because there was optimism that Chow’s first team might find itself on the edge of bowl eligibility, and winning six out of 12 games is easier than winning seven out of 13.

Things are different now. Assuming the Warriors — who have started 1-5 and have looked bad doing it — don’t make the greatest in-season turnaround in football history there is no Hawaii Bowl.

Temple is now the team trying to make a move to improve its bowl chances. The Owls are 3-3. Adding a game gives it one more chance to get to six wins. And UH as an opponent this season looks like a good chance for a win.

Acting athletic director Rockne Freitas said UH has the Mountain West’s OK to move forward, but is awaiting clearance from the NCAA.

Then there’s booking Aloha Stadium, which has an event scheduled for Dec. 8. There’s also a UH basketball game on campus that night.

"It’s very far from a done deal," said Freitas, who hopes to have word back from the NCAA by the end of the week. "We’re doing our due diligence."

If we get to it, the final piece would be getting Temple to agree to a contract that makes financial sense for Hawaii.

And unless they’re willing to pay their own freight it probably won’t make sense for the Owls.

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Reach Dave Reardon at dreardon@staradvertiser.com or 529-4783