Warriors raking in the road dough in ’16

Thanks to a nearly all-expenses-paid trip to Australia, the globe-trotting University of Hawaii football team stands to earn $2.25 million from guarantees in 2016, making it the Rainbow Warriors’ most lucrative road campaign.

The Rainbow Warriors will receive a $750,000 guarantee to play California in the inaugural Sydney College Football Cup Aug. 27 in Australia, according to the terms of a contract released by UH.

Seven days after playing in Sydney, UH will pick up a $1 million check for playing Michigan in Ann Arbor. Two weeks after that, Sept. 17, UH goes to Tucson, Ariz., where the ‘Bows receive $500,000.

While the total is slightly lower than the $2.3 million UH is receiving for 2015 trips to Ohio State ($1.2 million) and Wisconsin ($1.1 million), UH will come out well ahead in 2016 since the promoter of the Sydney game, TLA Worldwide, is responsible for paying UH’s transportation, hotels and transfers, according to the contract.

TLA is also tasked, according to the contract, to seek opportunities to secure “wherever possible, sponsored meals for the UH traveling party.” UH also may share in advertising revenue.

For the games at Michigan, Arizona, Ohio State and Wisconsin, UH covers its transportation, hotel and meals from the guarantee.

“The financial deal is real good, but what excites me about the Australia trip is the opportunity to put our flag down there and really, more and more, try to be the Pacific Rim’s team,” athletic director David Matlin said. “A lot of the real value, beside the student-athlete experience, which we intend to treat like a bowl game, is the recruiting opportunities. Not just for football, but basketball, volleyball, soccer, softball, water polo and other sports but, with the branding of the university, the opportunity to help with international admissions (for the school) on the academic side,” Matlin said.

He said UH expects to bring coaches from 10 teams in addition to football.

The contract says TLA will cover UH travel and accommodation costs for a 200-member Rainbow Warrior party, including 10 members of the cheerleader squad and their coach. Twenty members of the traveling party will be provided business class travel. Accommodations will include 140 rooms for up to six nights.

UH is due to receive an initial payment of $187,500 Jan. 15, 2016. A second payment of $187,500 is due 30 days prior to the event with the balance, $375,000, coming within 15 days of the completion of the game.

The game is scheduled to be played at ANZ Stadium in Sydney, an 83,500-seat facility constructed for the 2000 Olympic Games.

The event will be the first U.S. college football game played in Australia since 1987.

Earlier this year TLA purchased Elite Sports Properties Holdings, a United Kingdom and Australian sports marketing and and athlete management company, for a reported $19.5 million over five years. It has listed its clients as including Jim Furyk, C. C. Sabathia, Troy Aikman, Reggie Bush, Colt McCoy, Ndamukong Suh and Ryan Tannehill.