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You won’t see that advertisement on Craigslist any time soon, but maybe it wouldn’t hurt, as the University of Hawaii goes about the increasingly tough task of filling future nonconference home football games.
"It’s been tough," said athletic director Ben Jay.
FUTURE NONCONFERENCE UH FOOTBALL GAMES
2014 |
Aug. 30 |
Washington |
Sept. 6 |
Oregon State |
Sept. 13 |
Northern Iowa |
Sept. 20 |
at Colorado |
2015 |
Sept. 5 |
Colorado |
Sept. 12 |
at Washington* |
2016 |
Sept. 3 |
at Michigan |
Sept. 24 |
at Kansas |
2017 |
Sept. 2 |
Kansas |
Sept. 9 |
at UCLA |
2018 |
Sept. 1 |
Navy |
Sept. 15 |
at Army |
2019 |
Aug. 31 |
Arizona |
Sept. 7 |
Oregon State |
Nov. 30 |
Army |
2020 |
Sept. 5 |
at Arizona |
2021 |
Sept. 11 |
at Oregon State |
2022 |
Sept. 4 |
Western Kentucky |
*—could become at Ohio State Source: UH
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Once upon a time, UH pretty much sorted through the incoming mail to fill its home schedule with brand-name nonconference opponents of its choosing. And it chose well, with a parade of the Who’s Who of college football — Notre Dame, USC, Texas, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Alabama, Oklahoma, Michigan — coming to Aloha Stadium.
"But times have changed," said associate athletic director Carl Clapp, who oversees booking.
As Exhibit "A," UH points to perennial power Southern California, which had been agreeable to playing twice at Aloha Stadium for every time the Rainbow Warriors ventured to Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, a series that ends with this year’s Aug. 29 game at Aloha Stadium.
The Trojans recently notified UH they would welcome the Rainbow Warriors in Los Angeles in the future but weren’t interested in extending their string of visits to the island any time soon.
"Scheduling is no longer as easy as it used to be — or as everybody thinks it is," Jay said.
The formula UH has been hoping to follow each year would include one home game and one away each against teams from Bowl Championship Series conferences and non-BCS conferences. Only as a last resort, Jay said, would UH book a Football Championship Subdivision opponent such as Lamar last season.
"We’re working at trying to get some home games; we need home games," Jay said. At this point, UH said, it needs one home game for 2014, one for ’15, two for ’16.
"But it is very tough, especially from 2015 and beyond because of the shifting of the conferences," Jay said.
For example, where UH once enticed prospective opponents with the opportunity to play an NCAA-sanctioned "extra" 13th game for coming here, the Rainbow Warriors are now finding that takers are fewer and farther between.
"It is not the kind of thing that is as effective as it used to be," Jay said. "Most of these conferences are playing championship games and coaches don’t want to play for 12 or 13 straight weeks."
Two years ago, even Texas State, a newly chartered Division I member, backed out of an apparent agreement because its coach, Dennis Franchione, didn’t want to play a 13th game.
Many who are willing to consider a trip here want an open date after the Hawaii visit, complicating the situation, especially at the end of the regular season, where UH was once well known for booking marquee foes.
Moreover, to get solid opponents, UH says it now increasingly has to compete with more well-heeled BCS conference schools that can offer two and three times the guaranteed money for shorter trips.
The kind like UH is fielding. UH said it has a handful of big-money offers to play at USC, Ohio State, Michigan and Wisconsin, among others, but few are interested in a return game, Jay said.
For example, UH has agreed to a $1 million game at Michigan in 2016 and is talking with Ohio State about a $1.1 million appearance in Columbus for 2015, but neither are willing to come here. UH said USC sent it a list for possible future dates in L.A., with 2016 being one of them.
But UH is already scheduled to go to Michigan and Kansas in 2016 and is loath to add USC to its dance card and have a school-record seven road games. The Trojans will pay Idaho $1.1 million for a 2015 appearance in the Coliseum. To make room for a 2015 game at Ohio State, UH is trying to push back its previously contracted 2015 game at Washington.
Wisconsin would like UH to come to Madison for 2015 but doesn’t have a return date for Aloha Stadium until some time after 2020.
"We’ve got a list of teams (of possibilities) and we’re going to go all the way down it trying to find opponents if we have to," Jay said.