The sea of green-clad University of Hawaii football fans is projected to be a little smaller at Las Vegas’ Sam Boyd Stadium on Saturday.

In some past seasons, Rainbow Warriors fans have accounted for nearly half of the turnout when UH played UNLV in the desert.

But a combination of a later date on the schedule and the ‘Bows’ woes on the field are cited for an expected dropoff.

A UNLV spokesman said a crowd in the "low 20,000s" is expected at the 36,800-seat facility Saturday. Approximately 6,000 to 8,000 are expected to be from Hawaii or isle transplants living on the mainland.

In 2003, ’07 and ’11 when UH played in Las Vegas, the Hawaii portion of the crowd — including isle transplants — was estimated at 10,000-12,000.

However, this year UH said it sold "approximately 1,000" of the 2,500 tickets it had requested and was returning the remainder to UNLV.

Rachel Shimamoto of Travel Ways said bookings were down significantly.

"Not that many people were as excited about going as in the past," she said.

UH is 0-5 this season and 3-14 over the last year and a half.

In addition, this is the first time in seven visits the ‘Bows will play in Las Vegas in October. Traditionally they have played in mid-September, which UH had preferred because it was a less heavily booked period and easier to accommodate its fans. But that was when the game was a nonconference affair and the Western Athletic Conference worked to accommodate UH’s wishes.

Now, it is a Mountain West Conference game, and due to conference expansion, the MWC was unable to deliver a September date, with the game ending up on the Columbus Day weekend.

"It is a different dynamic this time," said David Lebby, Boyd Gaming Corporation vice president. "In 2011 (and before), the game was in September when there were more rooms available. Unfortunately, when they went to the Mountain West, they weren’t able to keep the same schedule they had in the WAC."

"We do seem to have high occupancy on Saturday, which we are attributing to both the Hawaii game and it is Columbus Day weekend," said Tiffany Hauck, spokeswoman for the Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino.

Lebby said the California Hotel expects approximately 1,500 Hawaii fans for its traditional downtown pregame tailgate party.

Both hotels will lay on extra Hawaii food items, with the Nugget offering oxtail soup at its Friday and Saturday buffets.

"We’ll load up on the Hawaii favorites, oxtail, chicken katsu, poke … ," Lebby said.