The University of Hawaii is looking to add about 6,000 seats to its Manoa practice football field to play games over the next three years if Aloha Stadium remains closed.

Such expansion is part of a proposed retrofit for the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletic Complex that is estimated to cost $6 million and also include moving scoreboards from the stadium in Halawa.

UH officials are examining how to host Rainbow Warrior football games starting in September after a state agency that manages Aloha Stadium announced in December that a moratorium on new events was in place with a few exceptions that didn’t include UH games.

This agency, the Aloha Stadium Authority, is pursuing replacement of the 50,000-seat Halawa stadium with a new 35,000-seat stadium by late 2023 in partnership with a private developer.

The authority said upkeep costs in the absence of significant revenue amid the pandemic led to the indefinite moratorium.

Aloha Stadium has been the home field for UH football since the facility opened in 1975.

UH athletic director David Matlin said last month that a variety of ideas were being explored to use Ching Field for home games, and a preliminary concept was announced Tuesday after consideration of other sites that included Oahu high school football fields and neighbor island venues.

To make use of Ching Field, UH is looking to expand seating capacity from 3,585 to about 10,000 at an estimated cost of $1.8 million.

Other envisioned changes and estimated costs are:

>> $2 million to upgrade electrical, telecommunications, press box and other facilities.

>> $1.1 million to relocate scoreboards and game clocks from Aloha Stadium.

>> $712,000 to add concession space.

>> $200,000 for benches.

>> $150,000 to relocate a pole vault and high-jump area.

Installing new synthetic turf was previously slated to happen this year before the football seasons begins, and is already funded.

UH plans to present the preliminary concepts for retrofitting Ching Field to the university’s Board of Regents at a meeting Thursday.

Sources of funding are being evaluated, but UH officials did not offer details Tuesday.

The university noted that it would be able to earn revenue from parking and concessions to help offset operating costs that are included in the $6 million estimate.

If the plan receives necessary approvals, the first kickoff with a Warrior opponent could be the season home opener Sept. 4 against Portland State.

UH expects to host six to seven games a year over the next three seasons.

To use Ching Field for games, the university will need city approval and might encounter concerns from area residents.

UH said filling enlarged stands with football fans should not create bigger impacts on the community than previously experienced.

For example, the Stan Sheriff Center next to Ching Field has a 10,000-seat capacity and has been full at the same time the Rainbow Warrior baseball team played at neighboring 4,312-seat Les Murakami Stadium, according to UH.

The university also said that spring on-campus commencement ceremonies routinely attract about 20,000 people and that on-campus parking can accommodate more than 10,000 fans.

To address potential concerns, university representatives intend to discuss plans with neighborhood boards in the area and community members.

“There is a lot of work and collaboration to be done, including with the City and County and our neighbors, but we are extremely excited about this opportunity and see enormous potential in playing on campus for the first time in our history,” Matlin said in a statement last month. “Our goal is to offer a more intimate experience for our fans and a direct path for our student body to engage and create a true college football atmosphere.”