Take a real good look at these first two opponents on the University of Hawaii’s football schedule — Washington today and Oregon State next week.

Make it a long look, too, because we’re not likely to see anything like it again for a while.

As it stands now, the Rainbow Warriors won’t play two opponents from the so-called Power Five conferences in the same season at Aloha Stadium, much less back-to-back, until at least 2019. And, at that, perhaps for the only time in the next decade.

That puka comes too late for coach Norm Chow, who could have used a lesser caliber foe about now.

By 2019, when Arizona and Oregon State are scheduled to be here, who knows if the venerable Rust Palace, which begins its 40th season of UH football at 4:30 p.m., will still be standing. Or, if a smaller capacity replacement will be rising elsewhere.

Meanwhile, UH will still play some of the big boys — Ohio State (2015),  Wisconsin (2015), Michigan (2016) and UCLA (2017) — in the next couple of seasons, it will just be in distant time zones for mega moolah payouts.

The days when UH would bookend its season with brand-name opponents — opening with a USC or Texas and closing with a Wisconsin, Michigan State or Notre Dame — are pretty much consigned to history.

Chad Owens running amok in Halawa on Northwestern and Michigan State in consecutive weeks is unlikely to be repeated — even if another "Mighty Mouse" could somehow be located.    

In fact, USC, which has historically been an opening-week regular and UH’s biggest box office draw, has no plans to come back through 2025. Though the Trojans have said they might keep a light on for UH should the ‘Bows wish to visit the Memorial Coliseum.

All of which illustrates how the scheduling model is rapidly shifting for UH and not in a good direction. The ‘Bows are victims of both the changing environment in college football and their own lack of financial wherewithal as their closing on the road this year for the first time in their 105-year history attests.

Expansion has conferences playing more league contests, adding championship games and cutting back on mid-major opponents, something the new championship playoff only exacerbates.

So much for the lure of what used to be one of UH’s biggest selling points, the 13th game Hawaii Exemption. In seasons when the calendar makes for a 14-week season, there is some hope, but few want a 13th game and no open date in a 13-week schedule, especially when they factor in the travel here.

Meanwhile, UH’s budget plight leaves the school unable to offer competitive guarantees.

"The teams that will even talk to us about a game here want us to play at their place twice to get them to come here once," athletic director Ben Jay said. Oregon State and Kansas, who see the trips as investments in recruiting, have been among the few exceptions lately.

So, enjoy what the 2013 schedule offers these next two Saturdays because there might not be much more where they came from.

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