If the bronze bust of the late Gov. John A. Burns fronting the main entrance to Aloha Stadium could talk, you wonder what the patriarch of the place might say today.

Not just about the crumbling 46-year-old facility — motto: “the rust never sleeps” — but about what the University of Hawaii’s role should be in the development of the New Aloha Stadium Entertainment District.

The vision of a big league stadium was close to Burns’ heart, which is why when the city lost its appetite for the project in the 1960s, he got the state to take it on and see it through.

Burns correctly saw a modern stadium as a necessity for the Rainbow Warriors’ climb to major college athletics and what would become a breakthrough conference affiliation.

But Burns died five months before the stadium opened in 1975 and while UH made a home in Halawa, its true role, whether as a partner, anchor client or just another tenant, has never been fully defined or resolved.

We are reminded of that as UH’s testimony on two key stadium bills, Senate Bill 1423 and House Bill 1348, currently before the Legislature seeks to widen its role with a permanent, voting seat at the Stadium Authority. UH has also issued a list of “fundamental requirements” for what it expects from the new stadium in revenue opportunities.

UH and the Department of Education, whose schools play football at the stadium, have long held ex-officio memberships. They may attend meetings and briefings but do not vote or attend executive sessions. The DOE has not publicly sought a voting membership.

Some legislators appear reluctant to add a vote for one (UH). And there have been concerns about giving one tenant voting power for what is projected to be a true multi-purpose stadium with a wide array of entertainment and sports events while UH’s percentage of use might be well under 10%.

Come 2022, when San Diego State projects to debut Aztec Stadium, UH and Nevada-Las Vegas will be the only two schools in the 12-member Mountain West Conference that don’t own or operate the home stadiums they play in.

To be competitive, UH said it is seeking greatly enhanced revenue from its events, including shares of concessions, parking, merchandise and no rent or operational charges.

Part of the problem is that the state has historically charged Aloha Stadium produce its own operating funds through the rent it charges tenants and its take of concessions, parking and other revenues.

That has left the stadium with little to share with UH in recent years, especially as the Rainbow Warriors’ crowds have declined from an average of more than 40,000 per game in their heyday to just 20,520 in 2019.

Otherwise, Aloha Stadium must stand in line at the trough each year along with the other departments and agencies when requesting funds for maintenance and improvements from the governor and Legislature. Most years lately the stadium has gone empty-handed, which is why it is in such disrepair.

In recent years stadium manager Scott Chan and the Stadium Authority have rescinded rent, only charging so-called out-of-pocket expenses such as clean-up, ushers, security, electricity, etc. In addition, UH has been allowed to sell rail and on-field advertising, re-sell premium parking and be eligible for rebate credits when attendance hit specified thresholds.

Critics of UH suggest that if the school had been more active in lobbying successive governors and legislators on behalf of health and safety maintenance funds for the stadium then, maybe, enough repairs could have been undertaken to keep the facility operational longer.

Meanwhile, as they move toward NASED, it behooves the state and UH to define what the school’s role will be and what the expectations should be going forward.

With what figures to be at least four years until NASED’s debut, there’s definitely time to find a solution.

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UH ‘Fundamental Requirements’

(For playing at NASED)

>> UH football receives paramount consideration in scheduling.

>> UH pays no rental or facilities cost for football games.

>> UH receives all ticket receipts, including preferred seating donation revenue for football.

>> UH receives revenue from premium parking.

>> UH receives a minimum of 1/2 of luxury boxes to sell for UH football.

>> UH receives revenue from ‘club’ area membership fees for UH football games.

>> UH receives a minimum of 1/2 of net concession and merchandise revenue.

>> UH receives a minimum of 1/2 of net parking revenue.

>> UH receives rights to sell advertising for UH football games and retain the funds.

Source: UH letter to State Dept. of Accounting and General Services and legislators.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@staradvertiser.com or 529-4820.