The race to the dotted line has been on for many months: University of Hawaii head basketball coach Gib Arnold’s contract vs. a new NBA collective bargaining agreement.

Or, so it has sometimes seemed in negotiations often progressing at the speed of molasses. Uphill.

But this week, we’re told, there could be a first-to-sign winner declared, and it might actually be Arnold’s deal.

Of course, the same thing was said back in June, August, September, October … Well, you get the idea. Which is why nobody is jumping up to proclaim anything just yet.

But barring the 218th — or so — sticking point, Arnold could have a deal retroactive to July 1 signed, sealed and in pocket this week. And not a moment too soon, either, since the Rainbow Warriors’ season tips off in 10 days with an exhibition against Hawaii Pacific University, and the regular-season opener is three nights later against Cal State Northridge.

Why it has taken so long to get to this point depends on which side of the table you believe, because both have been doing some finger pointing, which has been part of the problem.

A bigger roadblock, however, has been the number of hands that have been involved up and down the campus food chain. This might have more fingerprints on it than anything in UH’s trophy case.

How a handshake deal between Arnold and athletic director Jim Donovan that was agreed upon in principle back in March 2010 could take this long to clear the black hole on upper campus, finally get formatted and, then, renegotiated and re-renegotiated has to be a record, even for UH. Not a proud one, either.

But here we are, after changes in the language, terms, Board of Regents, a summer-long investigation and who knows what else, with an end finally in sight. Now, it is in both parties’ interests to resolve it before it lurches on much longer. The last thing you want is it to hover over what has the look of a promising season.

Better to get it out of the way and focus the attention on the upcoming basketball campaign, where interest builds off last year’s 19-12 finish.

Not to mention the need there will be to sell tickets to help pay for UH’s share of the reported $340,000 annual salary.

If you are Arnold, the rumored terms — three years or more with clauses featuring victory and postseason mileposts that would automatically trigger additions to the term, plus a salary — are sweet for a second-year head coach at UH. Or, anybody in the Big West, where he will likely have the most lucrative package when UH takes up membership this summer.

And if you are UH, it is good to get Arnold locked down and this headache over with before anything else complicates the situation, such as the boosters, who are committed to $40,000-$50,000, getting frustrated. Or Arnold starting out, say, 10-2, and commanding more leverage.

So, cross your fingers that the deal gets done, finally, this week and, heaven forbid, nobody so much as leaves a “t” un-crossed or an “i” un-dotted.

Meanwhile, the NBA is on its own.

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