With the cancellation of the University of Hawaii’s Dec. 7, 2013, football game with Brigham Young, the Warriors could miss out on a $250,000-$400,000 payday this season if a replacement is not booked, officials acknowledged.

Next to the season opener with USC, the game against the long-time nemeses Cougars looms as having the most box-office potential of UH’s expected home foes.

"It probably would cost (UH $250,00-$400,000 after expenses)," UH athletic director Ben Jay confirmed. "It is a good-drawing game, but we had this conflict with that date because of the change in our conference."

Last week the Warriors suddenly found themselves with a scheduling dilemma when the Mountain West Conference announced it would hold its inaugural championship game on the same date.

"When the collective decision was made to establish a MW Football Championship Game and the date was set for December 7, 2013, it obviously became necessary for member institutions to clear that date on their schedules if they wanted to be eligible to participate in the title game," a conference spokesman said in an email.

The return of Boise State and San Diego State gives the MWC 12 teams for 2013 and, under NCAA rules, qualifies the conference to hold a championship game. The game will match the winners of the West and Mountain divisions.

Because the 2013 game was part of a home-and-home agreement that would have sent the Warriors to Provo, Utah, in ’14, the schools canceled both games. In a joint announcement Monday the schools said they have "agreed to look at scheduling a future series." No dates were mentioned.

Coach Norm Chow, who was in Utah recruiting Monday, said he had, "no reaction one way or the other," on the BYU cancellations.

UH has not announced replacements for either 2013 or ’14, and there is a possibility the vacancies could go unfilled, leaving the Warriors with 12 games each season. To be bowl eligible the Warriors would need at least six victories in the 12 games.

Chow said he and his staff are discussing whether they would prefer to play 12- or 13-game schedules.

"We have to decide what is best for our football team," Chow said. "Thirteen weeks without an (open date) is hard. We got beat up pretty good last year (even with open dates.)"

BYU was UH’s biggest draw during the years (1979-1998) both played in the old Western Athletic Conference. They resumed their once-marquee nonconference series in 2011 after an eight-year hiatus. The Cougars beat UH at Aloha Stadium, 41-20, in 2011, and won again in 2012 in Provo, 47-0.

Jay, who took over at UH on Jan. 14, said he may seek a replacement for 2014, but wants to talk more extensively with Chow first.

"I’ve had some casual conversations with Norm. I want to sit down and really talk it out about what we want to do for future scheduling. Obviously, from our standpoint, I want to make sure we’re playing at least 12 games, at least six at home, seven, if possible," Jay said.

"One thing I don’t want to do is over-schedule our kids," Jay said. "I want to be careful about that. But I will sit down with Norm and kind of etch out what our philosophy will be."

The Cougars, who are an independent, announced a 12-game schedule Monday that has two open dates.