University of Hawaii football coach Todd Graham has an opportunity not fully capitalized upon by some of his predecessors, an opening to shape schedules well into the future.
Because major college football schedules are often contracted years in advance, many coaches have to wait several seasons to even begin to implement a scheduling philosophy.
As a first-time head coach, Norm Chow was advised by then-veteran Kansas State coach Bill Snyder to “get control” of the nonconference schedule as soon as possible. But Chow, who took over at UH in 2012 and lasted less than four seasons, never made much headway.
Similarly, Nick Rolovich’s four seasons were pretty much booked before his arrival, including the welcome-home-to-UH beginning of playing California in Australia and Michigan in Ann Arbor in back-to-back games to open his 2016 rookie season.
While Graham’s first three seasons (2020-22) are well laid out for him, barring cancellations, he has at least 13 non-conference openings in a five-year span (2023 and ’27) in which to make a mark, according to current listings.
And, some definite ideas on how he’d like to do it.
Based upon his 12 seasons as a head coach, spread across stops at Rice, Tulsa, Pittsburgh and Arizona State, Graham said, “When I look at schedules, first and foremost, I want to play in places where we recruit. Obviously, our primary area is Hawaii, then California, Arizona and Texas … and any place where there are players with a Hawaii connection.”
And he’s also not opposed to continue playing a couple of Power 5 opponents a year or even dropping a Football Championship Subdivision opponent in favor of a ninth conference game, if permissible.
In recruiting, the Warriors quickly dropped anchor in Texas, signing four players in the 2020 recruiting class in less than a month and drawing pledges from two already for 2021.
But, Graham notes for the long haul, “It is hard to recruit a place that you don’t play (games) in.”
UH can offer prospective recruits from California opportunities to return there regularly with conference games against San Diego State, San Jose State and Fresno State and nonconference games at UCLA (2021 and ’27).
Beyond this season’s opener at Arizona, the Rainbow Warriors currently have to wait until 2026 to return to the Grand Canyon State, when they play at Arizona State. “I wish we could play ’em sooner,” Graham said.
But Las Cruces, N.M., is as close as the ’Bows are currently scheduled to get to the Lone Star State. UH plays New Mexico State, an independent, there in 2021, ’22 and ’24 as part of a home-and-home a series in which the two teams will play six times in five years, including the rarity of twice in 2021. Graham said he understands the circumstances that led to it.
“Obviously, when we sit down and schedule, we’re gonna put together a schedule where we can be successful, but we also want to play some (marquee) games,” Graham said. “When I was at Tulsa we scheduled Notre Dame and beat them (in South Bend, Ind., in 2010).”
UH offensive coordinator G.J. Kinne was Tulsa’s quarterback in the 28-27 victory.
“That’s the kind of game players want to play. I’ll remember it for the rest of my life, probably the biggest win in school history there,” Graham said.
Meanwhile, the search for a marquee game in Texas goes on as Graham tries to avail himself of the opportunity to imprint his philosophy on UH’s future.
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LOOKING AHEAD
Future Hawaii football non-conference foes
2021
At UCLA
Portland State
At Oregon State
At New Mexico State
New Mexico State
2022
Vanderbilt
Western Kentucky
At Michigan
Duquesne
At New Mexico State
2023
At Vanderbilt
Albany
At Oregon
New Mexico State
2024
At New Mexico State
At Brigham Young
Oregon
2025
Arizona
Brigham Young
Portland State
2026
At Arizona State
2027
At UCLA
Source: UH
Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@staradvertiser.com or 529-4820.
