23,000 to 25,000 projected for Hawaii football season opener

The University of Hawaii said it is projecting tickets distributed to be “23,000-25,000-ish,” for today’s season-opening football game against Arizona.

Kickoff is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. at Aloha Stadium.

Athletic director David Matlin said he hopes a larger-than-expected walk-up sale will boost the count.

It is the first Week Zero home game for UH and earliest opener in school history. It comes amid a recent crush of entertainment options, including the Los Angeles Rams-Dallas Cowboys preseason game last week and advance ticket sales for the Los Angeles Clippers-Houston Rockets game in October, as well as the November Janet Jackson concerts. The hour-and-a-half earlier 4:30 p.m. start is to accommodate the CBS Sports Network, which will carry the game.