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ESPN wants to showcase UH
Posted on: Tuesday, February 8, 2005
wis
Advertiser Staff Writer
The University of Hawai'i has been asked to consider moving its Saturday
night football games against Southern California and Wisconsin to Friday
this season to accommodate ESPN, which would like to show the games
nationally.
Herman Frazier, UH athletic director, said the request came through
the Western Athletic Conference and no decision has yet been reached.
The Warriors are scheduled to play two-time defending national
champion USC on Sept. 3 — part of the four-day Labor Day (Sept. 5)
weekend. Their Nov. 26 game with Wisconsin is part of the Thanksgiving
weekend.
The Wisconsin game would be the easier of the two to move, officials
said. Frazier said through Lois Manin, the school's sports information
director, that he has had preliminary talks with the WAC and Wisconsin
about the possibilities but no decision has been made.
Under terms of the WAC-ESPN television contract, UH could be
compelled to move one of the games. If it is, the school would be
eligible to receive a $50,000 "hardship" allowance from the conference.
If UH moved the Wisconsin game it would likely have to arrange a
switch of dates with the Hawai'i High School Athletic Association, which
is scheduled to hold its semifinal round of state football playoffs Nov.
25. In the past, the HHSAA has made the switch.
Keith Amemiya, executive director of the HHSAA, said he would be
willing to consider such a move if the request came early enough.
Meanwhile, the WAC said UH will not be involved in any of its
mid-week football gams. Under its new contract, the WAC has agreed to
provide ESPN with two midweek games, appearing on either Tuesday or
Wednesday nights this season. UH had been assured none of its home games
would be moved to midweek but there had been a possibility of playing
one on the road.
Karl Benson, WAC commissioner, said UH could have as many as five of
its games on tele-vision or cable this year. In addition to the USC and
Wisconsin games, he said the network was looking at the Warriors' games
with Boise State and Fresno State.
"Those are the games that jump out at you as being attractive to
TV," Benson said. He said he expects UH's Sept. 10 game at Michigan
State to be part of the Big Ten's package. A Michigan State spokesman
said no announcement was likely until late spring.
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