Nevada’s been here so often it’s starting to feel like home

Officially, Nevada is designated as the visiting team for today’s Sheraton Hawaii Bowl game against Southern Mississippi.

Unofficially, the Wolf Pack might as well be the University of Nevada-Waikiki for all the comfort and local familiarity they have gained in recent years here.

Between its biennial conference visits and what is now its third Hawaii Bowl appearance in seven years, Nevada is more a perennial than a visitor. With this bowl berth, a reward for a 7-5 season, and a 2012 Mountain West Conference trip scheduled here, the Wolf Park are in the midst of a run of five games in as many years.

Nobody in college football visits a conference opponent’s home stadium eight times in nine years, but the Wolf Pack are — and are doing it with a smile and a tan.

"If we can’t go to a Bowl Championship Series bowl, where else would you rather be this time of the year," said Keith Hackett, Nevada’s associate athletic director. Hackett, with his fifth trip, is building quite an assortment of aloha shirts to prove it.

"We love the hospitality and aloha spirit," he said.

Indeed, thanks to host Hawaii’s inability to win seven games and attain bowl eligibility in 2009 and 2011, Nevada’s 19 seniors have come to know this place so well words such as "mauka" and "makai" are no longer foreign. Trips to Pearl Harbor and the luau experience almost come with a Nevada scholarship.

In appreciation, there should be a gift basket on the UH doorstep or at least a "thank you" Christmas card in the mail as we speak.

When the Hawaii Bowl announced the other day that it was moving its conference agreement from the Western Athletic Conference to the Mountain West for 2012 and 2013, Nevada, which joins UH and Fresno State in the MWC in 2012, had the most reason for applause.

Already the Wolf Pack probably have their own seating section at Duke’s. Head coach Chris Ault should be able to recite the breakfast menu by heart and tell you where the traffic snags are likely to be encountered on the way to the stadium. Unconfirmed reports have him asking for the kamaaina discount around Waikiki and ready with the words to "Hawaii Pono’i" for today.

The first time the Wolf Pack appeared in the postseason here in 2005 after knocking off UH, Hawaii fans still managed to root for them in the name of WAC solidarity. "Play Up!" and all that, you know.

The second time, when the Wolf Pack played Southern Methodist in ’09, the nostalgia for June Jones’ return rendered Nevada’s welcome tepid.

So, it will be interesting to see what the fan response is today. Especially from the UH faithful who purchased tickets early in the year when the Warriors were preseason picks to win the WAC and there were expectations of a 10-win season.

But Nevada’s only worry — other than Southern Miss — is that if new coach Norm Chow gets it going at UH the Wolf Pack might have to change their holiday headquarters to the New Mexico Bowl in Albuquerque.

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