Stadium to turn dugouts into VIP seating

For a yet-to-be-announced price, your group could enjoy on-field, end-zone seating with food and beverage service at University of Hawaii home football games this year.

Aloha Stadium is talking with its marketing partner, Aloha Sports Properties, and UH about offering 38 so-called VIP seats this season, officials said.

The seating will be on raised platforms fronting the baseball dugouts, which will be enclosed and air conditioned with large-screen TV monitors. The platform is cushioned for player protection, officials said.

Aloha Stadium spokeswoman Lois Manin said it is the idea of stadium manager Scott Chan.

"Since we are locked into the football configuration and no longer need the dugouts for baseball, he decided to try and turn it into a VIP area and create some additional revenue for us and our clients," Manin said.

UH corporate partners used the mauka dugout for three games last year on an experimental basis.

"The pilot program worked out well and we were glad to be able to utilize it," said John McNamara, UH associate athletic director.

Since it was a late addition, McNamara said users made a donation to UH and paid for the catering.

Chan said he is talking to UH about the mauka side again and will offer a new area on the makai side to Aloha Sports Properties. Each side would have 19 seats. The stadium receives a share of catering revenue from its food and beverage partner, Centerplate, and revenue from its marketing agent, Aloha Sports Properties. UH pays the stadium for game-day use.

UH athletic director Jim Donovan declined comment, saying he and Chan are still in discussion about possible use.

In other stadium news, the new $1.76 million turf is scheduled to be displayed at the facility’s annual media day, Aug. 11. "It is pretty close to being finished," Manin said.