LAS VEGAS >> Mainland fans will be allowed to watch UH football home games for free on their cell phones and tablets this season, according to Bret Gilliland, deputy commissioner of the Mountain West Conference.

Last year, the Mountain West pulled the plug on free streaming because viewers in Hawaii were able to circumvent Spectrum’s pay-per-view barriers and receive the free transmission intended for mainland fans.

“It has to do with what we call geo blocking,” Gilliland said. “We have to protect the Spectrum contract with Hawaii and subscribers who pay for that.”

Geo blocking is procedure in which you can prevent free streaming to an area based on Internet Protocol addresses. For instance, a circle could be drawn around the islands preventing anyone from Hawaii from receiving the free transmission through the internet.

But Gilliland said some Hawaii residents have IP addresses that were outside the state. “Some of it is intentional, some of it may be happenstance that their provider, whomever they’re getting their internet from, has an IP address that will allow them to see it when they’re on the islands,” Gilliland said. “Which is something we do not want to do. We don’t want to violate the agreement with Spectrum.”

But Gilliland said it was determined a cell phone and tablet can be geo blocked. Gilliland said UH streaming will no longer be offered through the internet, which can viewed on a computer. But people outside of Hawaii, including those visiting out of state, can pick up the games on cell phones and tablets.

Gilliland said this resolves the problem of unauthorized viewing while promoting UH football games outside of Hawaii. “We’d like to have that content out there,” Gilliland said.

Utah State boasts of fireknife champion

Of all the items on Utah State’s no-no list, add fireknife dancing to skiing and playing basketball.

USU coach Matt Wells praised Hale Motuapuaka, an incoming freshman defensive lineman from Punahou School. Motuapuaka is the 2018 World Fireknife champion.

Wells recalled watching Motuapuaka’s fireknife performance at Sea Life Park. “I’m like, ‘Oh, don’t burn yourself,’” Wells recalled thinking. “He’s extremely talented. It is awesome. It is really, really neat to see.”

Asked if Motuapuaka will continue performing, Wells mused: “No, he’s on scholarship at Utah State.”

Then Wells softened. “He did not bring his fireknives to Logan (Utah) yet, but I know at some point, his mom will mail them over,” Wells said. “At some point, we’re going to have a team function, and he’s going to get to perform.”