ANAHEIM, CALIF. » Should Hawaii win three times in three days in the Big West Conference tournament starting Thursday, the Rainbow Warriors will make their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 12 years. Should they not, their postseason possibilities become interesting.

The door to another CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament appearance is open just a crack, should it come to that, UH athletic director Ben Jay said on Tuesday.

The NCAA, or the 32-team NIT, would be the obvious priorities, he said. But failing that, he would not rule out a third appearance in Riley Wallace’s pay-to-play event in four years.

Jay received some push-back for deciding to host a CIT game against Air Force last season. Financially strapped UH lost that game 69-65 to conclude the 2012-13 season at 17-15 and on a four-game losing streak.

In past seasons, CIT games have cost host schools a base of $30,000 per game and generally another $10,000 or more in gameday operating expenses.

The only other postseason tournament, the CBI, costs even more.

"The pay-to-play type of tournaments we really have to take a look at (whether to do it) because of our financial situation and how do we do these things," Jay said. "Because obviously there were lessons learned from last year on the men’s side and I have to be careful from a financial standpoint."

Jay is hopeful UH will advance to at least the Big West championship game, at which point NIT consideration might be possible, he said.

But at-large bids to the NIT are difficult to come by in part because of a reduced field size and how that tournament now picks up the regular-season champion of conferences who have a different league tournament champion.

The Rainbows (20-10, 9-7 Big West) have already earned their first 20-win season in a decade, but that won’t necessarily translate to an NIT at-large invite because of a middling RPI (153 out of 351) and strength of schedule (216), figures per RealtimeRPI.com.

One way the CIT might be viable, Jay said, is if UH played as a road team in the first round of that 32-team tournament for mid-majors. Even that would take some convincing, he said.

"That’s the reason why I’m leaving this open the short turnaround on that in trying to host a home game, it’s so financially precarious because of the amount of money you’ve got to pay the CBI or CIT (as a host)," Jay said. "And then having to pay for visiting teams’ airfares and things, it’s not the most financially viable thing for us. It’s something that, possibly going on the road, and having our airfares paid, almost like another road trip, that’d be one thing. If we win, maybe hosting a second- or third-round, maybe. That’s why I’m leaving the door open on that."

Wallace, the former UH coach and current chairman of the CIT selection committee, couldn’t be reached for comment on Tuesday.

Jay said any CIT participation costs would likely have to be mitigated by fundraising. First and foremost, he is optimistic for a solid showing by Gib Arnold’s team this week.

"We know it’s a tough road ahead of us, but this is a team that I think really has a will to win and I’m looking forward to their play in the tournament," Jay said.

Fourth-seeded UH traveled to Los Angeles on Tuesday afternoon. It will get in a day of practice Wednesday for fifth-seeded Cal State Northridge, its first-round opponent.

Jawato done for season

Reserve guard Brandon Jawato has been shut down for the season with an ankle injury, coach Gib Arnold confirmed.

Jawato played minimal minutes in 2013-14 after struggling with both his shot and playing through an offseason ankle injury. He wore street clothes on the bench in UH’s home finale last week.

Jawato will have surgery on the joint and hopes to be ready by next season.