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CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / CRUSSELL@STARADVERTISER.COM
SMU coach June Jones talked with quarterback Garrett Gilbert during a Hawaii Bowl practice at Aloha Stadium on Thursday.
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Future Sheraton Hawaii Bowl pairings could undergo changes as the game negotiates a new contract.
The game’s current agreement to match teams from the Mountain West Conference and Conference USA expires with the Dec. 24 game at Aloha Stadium and negotiations are under way on a new agreement, said David Matlin, executive director of the game.
He declined to comment on possible conference partners beyond saying, "We’re in negotiations right now" as the industry enters a new six-year contract cycle beginning in 2014.
The 2012 game, which matched Southern Methodist and Fresno State, was seen by 13 million viewers on ESPN.
The 11-year-old bowl game is expected to retain its tie with the MWC and offer the University of Hawaii a berth when the Rainbow Warriors are bowl eligible.
But less clear is whether C-USA, which has been a partner since the game’s 2002 beginning, will be as heavily involved.
A spokesman for C-USA declined comment and referred questions to the game’s owner, ESPN Regional Television of Charlotte, N.C. ERT did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
C-USA recently expanded its bowl partnerships to six games for 2013 and is reevaluating its future lineup.
The Pac-12, which is working on an eight-game bowl lineup for 2014 and beyond, does not currently appear likely to partner with the Hawaii Bowl.
