It was a decade ago when the University of Hawaii’s athletic department faced a difficult choice involving two prominent men’s teams.
UH could remain is an imploding Western Athletic Conference or seek another league membership.
UH leaders at the proverbial higher pay grade opted for a split decision. The football program would join the Mountain West Conference, which was created in 1999 with eight WAC defectors, and the men’s basketball team (and most of UH’s other sports programs) would move to the Big West Conference. The Big West does not compete as a football league.
Beginning with that inaugural 2012-13 academic year, it was apparent the Mountain West and Big West offered separate but hardly equal situations.
In the Big West, the basketball ’Bows are the one-eyed kings in the Land of the Blind. The ’Bows have the largest arena. Their locker room is equipped to conduct meetings and video-review sessions. The practice gym is climate-controlled to “comfortable.” All their home games are televised. Before striking a deal with ESPN-plus, some Big West teams appeared to use video equipment from the “Paranormal Activity” movies. Saturday’s senior night for the ’Bows was so epic the opposing team stayed in the visitors’ locker room for 45 minutes after the final horn sounded. The ’Bows’ home games are fully staffed with the most detailed, real-time statistical updates. Two years ago, one of the other teams had a media relations director who was an employee … of another school.
In the Mountain West, the football Warriors are the equivalent of the dean’s list student getting by on loans, three jobs, and post-dated checks.
The Warriors still have the most lucrative local television deal, as well as NCAA exemptions that allow them to play a 13th regular-season game and open their season a week ahead of most everybody else. But they also do not receive a fair share of the Mountain West’s television revenue. And the Warriors have to pony up between $150,000 and $175,000 in travel subsidies for visiting Mountain West teams.
The gap has widened between the “haves” and Hawaii. In recent years, Mountain West opponents have poured millions into capital-improvement projects. Colorado State’s facilities are so progressive the school offers private tours. In 2019, UNLV opened the $34.8 million Fertitta Football Complex. The Rebels play their home games in the same venue — $1 billion Allegiant Stadium — where the NFL will play Super Bowl LVIII. San Diego State will open the 2022 season at the new $330 million SnapDragon Stadium. Even before the improvements, the Aztecs’ football-training facilities were so accommodating UH held its pro days there two times. Meanwhile, UH’s hope is it can find a spacious area for food trucks for home football games.
Years before joining the MWC, the Warriors began to lose their footing in the money race following their upset of Illinois in the 1992 Holiday Bowl. WAC programs such as Utah and New Mexico theorized they could match UH’s success by increasing resources and investments. Four years later, a Utah leader mocked the financially stagnant Warriors as “chihuahuas.” In 2011, the Utes joined the Pac-12.
In 2000, Boise State was considered for WAC membership. The debate was whether Boise State, which moved up to Division I-A in 1996, would boost the WAC or be boosted by the league. The Broncos joined in 2001, then dominated WAC football for a decade, leading to a move to the MWC in 2011 and offers from other leagues, including what was the Big East. The Broncos parlayed their success into new facilities and a stadium expansion. UH never was able to cash in on its success in the WAC, even after an undefeated 2007 regular season and appearance in the ensuing Sugar Bowl.
Even though Aloha Stadium was built with Warriors football in mind, UH was on the wrong side of the partnership, not receiving food or parking concessions. Aloha Stadium was allowed to sell advertising during UH football games, which is like a hotel official being given four tables for free at a couple’s wedding reception.
When Aloha Stadium was self-condemned for spectator events in December 2020, UH retrofitted the Ching Complex into a 9,000-seat, on-campus venue as a temporary site for home football games. In place of individual seats, as found at SimpliFi and Les Murakami Stadium on campus, Ching has metal bleachers. Wishful plans to double the seating capacity this year appeared to be stalled, leaving the complex as a body without flesh.
While UH waits for either a new stadium to be built in Halawa or Jeff Bezos to fall in love with Warriors football, a start would be to fulfill a promise to move the Daktronics 20.5-foot-by-75.5-foot video board from Aloha Stadium to Ching. Releasing the video board from Aloha Stadium’s rusty grip is one thing, installing it atop neighboring Les Murakami Stadium is another costly issue.
Name, likeness and image opportunities for student-athletes are factoring in the recruiting competition. Ten years later, UH football still needs more help — from the state, from donors, from sponsors — if it wishes to increase the pace of a race it is trailing.
