Stands likely to remain empty as University of Hawaii spectators still not allowed

The University of Hawaii football team is the only one of more than 100 major college programs across the nation that has not been allowed to have spectators at its home games this season.

UH athletic director David Matlin said he understands serious public health issues continue because of COVID-19.

He also said he hopes some fans will be allowed at events as soon as Saturday’s home football game against San Jose State.

But that event falls within the City and County of Honolulu’s 28-day moratorium on public- event gatherings of more than 10 people indoors and 25 outdoors that started Aug. 25. That directive has disallowed fan attendance at UH sports events, including the football home season opener Sept. 4 and five volleyball matches — all of which generate revenue.

“Public health is the priority,” Matlin said Sunday. “I believe our vaccination and mask protocols, coupled with our Lumisight verification application, can safely enable some spectators to attend UH athletics events.”

Last week Matlin asked Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi whether 150 fans could be allowed in the 10,000-seat SimpliFi Arena at the Stan Sheriff Center for Friday and Saturday’s matches against USC, 500 for football against the Spartans this Saturday at the 9,000-seat outdoor Clarence T.C. Ching Complex and 250 for soccer Sept. 23 against Cal State Northridge at the open-air Waipio Peninsula Soccer Stadium with capacity for 4,500.

This proposal was to allow family and friends of student-athletes to attend. UH did this for the final baseball series last season at Murakami Stadium.

The mayor took the request to Gov. David Ige last week, but it was “declined,” Blangiardi said Sunday.

“It would take a miracle,” Blangiardi said, for fans to be allowed at this Saturday’s football game. “They’re making no exceptions because there’s still concern for spread.”

Blangiardi also said a decision is coming this week on whether the restrictions on gatherings will be extended another 28 days. If they are not extended, UH could allow fans at its Oct. 2 homecoming football game against Fresno State.

“The good news is that the last couple of days, hospitalizations have come down. We’re encouraged. We’re very hopeful we can turn the tide on rising case counts and the demands on our hospitals,” Blangiardi said Sunday morning. “Over the course of the last couple weeks, we’ve seen vaccinations on the uptick.”

But he warned that “case counts remain high” and “this is a very fluid situation.”

“We rely heavily on the information being provided by the top medical people in our state,” he said.

The order in August was made because of a major surge in COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths in the state, largely due to the virus’ delta variant. Geography figured in, too: If Hawaii medical resources are depleted and hospitals overwhelmed, there are no neighboring states that can help quickly.

“Our resources are finite,” Blangiardi said, noting a recent shortage of oxygen at the state’s hospitals.

The gathering-size rule was also to lessen the chance of a vast shutdown of businesses and schools like in 2020, the mayor said.

The UH athletics budget took a major hit due to COVID-19 last year. For fiscal year 2021, which included all sports in the 2020-21 school year, UH’s pandemic-related net loss was around $5 million, Matlin said, accounting for most of a total deficit for the year of (not yet audited) $7 million. (Even pre-pandemic, about 90% of Division I sports programs ran at deficits similar to UH.)

Before the directive, Matlin projected attendance revenue (including concessions and parking) of around $570,000 for each of six home games in this first season at the on-campus Ching Complex.

(From 1975 to the end of last season, UH played its home football games at 50,000-seat Aloha Stadium in Halawa. Fans were not allowed at the Warriors’ four home games last fall. When it was announced that fans would be banned at the aging stadium for safety reasons this season, UH opted to play its football games on campus this year. Plans are for a new Aloha Stadium to be built, also in Halawa.)

Hawaii’s home volleyball matches normally generate about $75,000 each, Matlin added.

UH sports also produces significant revenue from TV contracts and other sources, but ticket sales are a major part of athletic department funding.

The Rainbow Warriors football team did bring in money and perform in front of spectators Saturday. The team played at Oregon State, and UH netted around $225,000 for its nonconference road appearance. Hawaii also netted $550,000 for its season-opening game at UCLA. Hawaii has several other lucrative nonconference road games scheduled for future seasons, including a $1.9 million date at Michigan in 2022.

Oregon State and Oregon were the first two college football programs to announce last month that spectators would have to be vaccinated or have a negative COVID-19 test and wear masks.

The crowd at 45,674-seat Reser Stadium for the Beavers’ home opener Saturday against UH was announced at 27,701.

Earlier in the day, attendance of 108,345 was announced for Michigan’s game against Washington at Michigan Stadium, where capacity is listed at 107,601. There were no vaccination requirements, and masks were required only in indoor areas such as restrooms.

“We have plans that include 100% vaccination and masks here,” Matlin said. “As far as where we’re at, for our next home games, you want to be hopeful, but what happens in the next few days with (COVID-19 numbers) is going to be a big factor. Things are moving fast and changing. The timing of the delta (variant) was not good for college sports.

“We’ve come up with plans to mitigate risk, but at the end of the day, we have to work with all the constituencies,” the AD added. “We don’t make decisions in a vacuum, and our priority remains the safety of our student-athletes and staff.”

Blangiardi played linebacker at UH in 1965 and ’66. He was later a Rainbows assistant coach and then a color analyst on the telecasts of UH games. He was inducted into the school’s sports Circle of Honor in 2018.

“I’m the last guy who’d want to restrict attendance at University of Hawaii athletic events,” he said. “We don’t want to do that. I understand how important UH football and Wahine volleyball are to this community. But we’re not making any exceptions across the board for large gatherings due to public health issues.”

He’s bought at least eight season tickets every year since 1977.

“Absolutely,” Blangiardi said when asked whether he’ll attend the first UH football home game when fans are allowed again.