In his first appearance before the University of Hawaii Board of Regents, athletic director David Matlin proudly told the panel this week that he had been on the job exactly "18 days and six hours."

Time enough, apparently, to demonstrate he already grasps what needs to be a prime thrust of that job: fundraising.

Because, in outlining the case for awarding some form of cost of attendance stipends for scholarship athletes this year, Matlin said he is looking for fundraising to play an important part in aiding the financially challenged department.

"We have actually had some people step up and say they might make a significant contribution of six figures," Matlin said. "There are some people who are very interested, I think. I believe that if someone steps up significantly, like a lead gift, we might be able to get other people involved."

A good portion of Matlin’s marching orders when he took the job involved coming up with creative solutions for funding what the state and school say they will not.

More than any AD in UH’s Division I era, Matlin is tasked with bringing in bucks, not only through the ticket office, but from donors and marketing. It is a mission that has taken on increased urgency with the arrival of COA.

In addition to the traditional expenses of tuition, room, board, books and fees covered by scholarships, the NCAA allows schools, beginning Aug. 1, to pay COA for the incidental costs of attending such as transportation, cell phones and miscellaneous personal expenses. 

Schools are left to determine their own COA based upon the number of athletes they have and what they can afford.

Some, such as San Diego State, are placing surcharges on the tickets of their most popular sports to help subsidize the effort. Others, like Utah State, have gotten a grant from their legislators.  

At UH that means looking under the couch for coins even while wading in red ink that is forecast to come in at $3.8 million-$4 million for the fiscal year that closes June 30. 

UH is far from alone in running at a deficit, as regent Stanford Yuen reminded the board, citing a 90 percent figure for Division I members. But many others currently have more of the wherewithal to sustain it. 

As Jeff Portnoy, chair of the regents’ Committee on Intercollegiate Athletics, reminded Matlin at the meeting, "The president (David Lassner), who is sitting right here, has made it clear he doesn’t believe other university resources can be re-directed (to athletics)."

If UH were to provide the figure of $4,085 per student average for all 248 students, it would add $1.1 million-$1.2 million per year, depending upon transportation. 

Without COA, Hawaii stands to lose competitive ground to its fellow Mountain West members in football and to Big West foes in most other sports.

Matlin cautioned Regents that donations for funding COA are "… not done yet, but there has been some interest. Obviously, the key is that the more we can find from some of these external sources, the better off we are."

Quickly understanding the mission is half the job for Matlin. Now comes the more arduous half, accomplishing it.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@staradvertiser.com or 529-4820.