University of Hawaii seeks new followers with H-Pass mobile debut

In seeking to entice a “new generation” of prospective future season customers, the University of Hawaii is debuting its “H-Pass” on-demand mobile device access tickets for the school’s athletic events for the 2019-20 school year.

The annual pass, which is on sale through Friday for $190, includes all UH-hosted regular-season events for six sports: football, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s volleyball and baseball.

Under the plan, a pass holder will select seats to nearly 100 events and the tickets that will be delivered digitally to a mobile device. The passes are valid August 2019 to May 2020, and choice of seats is subject to availability for high-demand games.

UH said the “H-Pass” does not include entry to the Diamond Head Classic or road, postseason or NCAA-hosted events and does not include the perks of regular-season tickets.

Amid declining season-ticket numbers across the board and in an attempt to attract millennial fans, flexible ticket plans via mobile devices are being tried at a number of schools.

“The H-Pass provides an opportunity to welcome a new generation of fans to our events, who, at some point, would consider becoming season-ticket holders,” Walter Watanabe, UH athletics tickets manager, said in a statement.

“The ticketing group’s goal was to provide our fans another option to support our teams,” athletic director David Matlin said in an email.

In setting up its plan, UH said it researched similar programs at several schools, including Fresno State, Kentucky, Oregon State and USC. Marketing director Brad Motooka said the athletic department also did marketing research on its potential appeal here.

”In building this program, we were very sensitive to our season-ticket holders and how important they are to our programs,” Watanabe said. “We cannot succeed without them. We continue to add value to this group to show our appreciation for their loyalty and dedication.”

A limit of six “H-Passes” may be purchased per account. UH said it also offers a 10-payment plan. Passes are non-refundable and non-transferable.