1st and 10 w/JD: October Questions **Live Thread**

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1st and 10 w/JD: October Questions **Live Thread**

Post by Scott »

Jim Donovan will be chatting live from 10:00 am to 11:00 am on Monday, October 4th. If you can't be here then, please post your questions in this thread. One question at a time. Preference will be given to live questions but we should be able to have all questions answered.
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Re: 1st and 10 w/JD: October Questions (October 4th at 10 am

Post by Scott »

jediwarrior wrote:Aloha Jim,

Has any thought been put into creating a new "football/non-football" conference...with BYU?

I think there'd be some interest.

1. Hawaii - non-football
2. BYU - non-football
3. Air Force - non-football

1. Gonzaga - no football

1. UC Davis - All sports
2. Sac State - All sports
3. Cal Poly - All sports
4. SJSU - All sports
5. USU - All sports
6.
7.
8.

Just wondering...
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Re: 1st and 10 w/JD: October Questions (October 4th at 10 am

Post by Scott »

soljah808 wrote:Aloha Jim,

With the numerous renovation/building projects currently going on down in lower campus, are updates available for fans to know what is being done and how we can center our donations to specific projects? I know you guys have implemented the new hawaiiathleticsohana.com site but I see no advertisement on the main athletic site as well. On top of that, UH fans would love to know and see pictures about the projects currently going on and the finished outcome.....ie SSC locker room renovations, office renovations, etc.)

I think it would be a big recruiting tool as well for potential recruits to see not only that we renovating our facilities but they have an idea about what they look like. Fans would love to see picutres of them as well. Mahalo.
"Do, or do not. There is no 'try'."
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Re: 1st and 10 w/JD: October Questions (October 4th at 10 am

Post by Scott »

chawan_cut wrote:Mr. Donovan,
Will we be getting the PC desktop wallpaper schedules this year?

Thanks!
"Do, or do not. There is no 'try'."
- Yoda ('The Empire Strikes Back')

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Re: 1st and 10 w/JD: October Questions (October 4th at 10 am

Post by hilorain »

It was great to see the Waipio Little League team be honored at halftime of the CSU game. Any plans to honor the Ewa Bronco team that actually won their world series?

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Re: 1st and 10 w/JD: October Questions (October 4th at 10 am

Post by BigWave96744 »

Jim,
Last year you accomodated Fresno State and other WAC teams by scheduling the games earlier so they could book it out on the last flight of the night. Would you consider moving up the start time for the Nevada game this season and Fresno State game next season, to say 6:35 or 7:05?

These are the 2 teams that ruined the WAC, so why should we make it easy for them. You've shown them more than enough Aloha over your tenure, yet they showed no regard to you or the Hawaii program.

If I'm not mistaken in 2007, Nevada moved the start time to the night in hopes that the cold air might be a disadvantage to Hawaii. Florida moved the 2008 game to mid day in hopes of burning out the Warriors.. SJSU wet down the field in 2007...

If Hawaii is in the hunt for a WAC title, every bit of advantage should be taken.
What's you thoughts?

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Re: 1st and 10 w/JD: October Questions (October 4th at 10 am

Post by dcwarrior »

JD,

It looks like the only way to ensure UH's viability as a national program and candidate for a BCS conference would be to increase the athletic budget. The student fee barely allows the program to break even at its current level. Is there any support in the Upper Campus towards additional monetary support? Especially since the Legislature would be willing to fund more dollars at some level?

Also, are there any plans for the Athletic Department to step up its mainland promotions and development of its mainland fan base?
Substance matters.

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Re: 1st and 10 w/JD: October Questions (October 4th at 10 am

Post by goodfaith »

Hi Jim,

Thanks again for doing this.

Here's a long question. Football turnstile attendance is down. About 27,000 for LaTech, a little more for Charleston Southern, no sell-out for USC. However, it seems like to me (just based on "feel") that interest and the following of the football program is way up. Lots of talk about town about football. So many of my friends and relatives who used to go to games before now go to pay-per-view parties. That's fine. They are real fans, and they might go to a game or two, or buy tickets for other sports, or donate to Na Koa etc. But with so many other commitments, it's easier to show up last minute at Uncle Sonny's house with some chips and poke' than it is to spend time in traffic and dealing with parking and paying a bunch if you have 2 kids etc. The parties are becoming tradition, rather than the tailgates.

So, the question is this: Is there a way to measure fan interest and fan following besides just attendance or tickets issued? Maybe marketing surveys or pay per view orders (assume 10 persons watch per game ordered, or whatever a survey might indicate), or some other way. And how can neighbor island interest be measured? I know what really counts is dollars into the program, and the best way is to sell tickets, but it would be interesting to measure somehow whether people, whether the state, actually values UH football or UH sports as a whole. The info would be good to use as a selling point when conference shopping or recruiting a player or selling ad space etc. UH could say, even though attendance is 34,000 tickets issued, the number of people who watch and follow a UH football game seriously is ___ (150,000?). It's more than just knowing what the tv ratings are. Maybe the athletic department already does this, or maybe KFVE does this... What are your thoughts?

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Re: 1st and 10 w/JD: October Questions (October 4th at 10 am

Post by FlyinManatee »

Hi Jim,

Thanks for answering our questions! Really appreciate it.

Question: For football season ticket holders who DO NOT renew their tickets (or move to a different sections), how does the ticketing system then make those tickets available for purchase to other season ticket holders, then for individual game purchase?

Reason I ask is I am pretty certain there are a number of seats around us that should have/should be available for season ticket or individual purchase (we know the people who sat in those seats). However when we have tried to purchase them prior to the season or for individual games (even up to this past La Tech game), they are not available. In one case, no one ever sits in the seat even though the rest of the section is packed.

It seems there is an issue with tickets being made available in a timely fashion. I have asked the ticket office but they say they don't have the ability to look into it any further than saying its not available.

Thanks again Jim!

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Re: 1st and 10 w/JD: October Questions (October 4th at 10 am

Post by FlyinManatee »

Jim,

In certain areas of the Aloha Stadium, it seems there are "dead spots" where you can't make out anything that is being said over the PA system. Are there any plans to address this (even by just redirecting or adjusting the speakers slightly, if that's possible)?

Thank you for your leadership during this time in Hawaii Athletics!

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Re: 1st and 10 w/JD: October Questions (October 4th at 10 am

Post by vbfan »

Mr. Donovan,

Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions. With news that the WAC will probably invite teams like UTSA, Texas State and Montana, has any decision been made yet on if Hawaii will stay in the WAC, or are they trying to pursue going independent with the rest of the teams in the Big West? My concern is that the new teams in the WAC may not be appealing to fans and will hurt the program revenue wise. When do you anticipate any decision being made regarding Hawaii's future in the WAC, will be not be until June 2011, or will it be much earlier than that?

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Re: 1st and 10 w/JD: October Questions (October 4th at 10 am

Post by soljah808 »

Aloha Jim,

Why does UH athletics seem to lack any types of meaningful tradition? No reasonable tradition that fans and students could latch on to, to create a good college atmosphere.

Why can't UH create traditions that could be spread through word of mouth and the media to get people excited about wanting to attend a UH game?

I'm pretty sure all athletic teams can't even sing our fight song with out a cheat sheet in front of them.

I know with the many problems currently facing the UH athletic department that this would be put on the back burner....but if it means anything......tradition helps institute pride, and excitement for UH games. It encourages folks to wear our team colors, it encourages our fans to stand up and sing and clap to our fight song.....it encourages our folks to have coordinated cheers that they would know and yell in unison.

If their is any way that the Athletic department can partner up with students and its athletes to start instituting some kind of traditions that fans would appreciate, that would be a start to great things to come for the school.

Things like this come to mind:

Hawaii needs IDENTITY.....multiple names for multiple sports shouldn't be an option because its fans and outside folks continously get confused as to whom we really are. Please encourage and institute that the men be called the "Warriors" and the women "Na Wahine" or "Wahine." This could be the very start of what needs to happen down on lower campus.

Encourage fans to WEAR school colors on game days....(as you know during white out/green out nights) when asked, fans will wear those colors. Send out press releases via internet and media to get it out to the fans to wear school colors EVERY GAME DAY not just one or two specific days. That in itself will encourage folks to buy UH merchandise.

Teach everyone the fight song, encourage the PA announcer to encourage fans to stand up each time the fight song is playing and clap and sing along.

Start instituting cheers that maybe the cheer squad can come up with and encourage the fans to do so and learn and understand the cheers. Something catchy and something all can say and do.

After games, maybe have everyone sing "Hawaii Aloha" while holding hands......though it may not be our alma mater, it is something most everyone here knows and understand that it speaks aoubt our home Hawaii.

But these suggestions are a start to something that can make UH more exciting to the typical college fan. And it will enable your fanbase to get more involved with the game before, during, and after the game as well.

Please think about this if at all possible. Mahalo nui loa.

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Re: 1st and 10 w/JD: October Questions (October 4th at 10 am

Post by soljah808 »

Jim,

Has UH talked to the WAC about possibly staying in the WAC for football only and moving on to the Big West upon approval......or is that not an option the WAC is willing to take?

I know you can't talk specifics but has this been an option that UH has considered?

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Re: 1st and 10 w/JD: October Questions (October 4th at 10 am

Post by BRADAHMAN »

Aloha and thank you for all of the hard work that you are doing for the University. How are we doing with scheduling for independence? If we are headed that route, I would think that there must be some teams on the radar that you are ready to sign... If not, I would think that there will be a very rough transitional period. I would hate to see the attendance numbers if we have to go several years of playing multiple 1AA teams.

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Re: 1st and 10 w/JD: October Questions (October 4th at 10 am

Post by Sportsbow »

Hi Jim.

Did you (UH) ever made a plea to the NCAA about adding an extra week to the UH 13th game exemption? (Preferrably starting the season one week earlier for UH and visiting teams that play here.)

I'm sure that ever since the NCAA added the 12th game for everyone to play, but did not add an extra week to the regular season made it difficult for you to schedule games with BCS type teams to come here and play, especially if those teams that have a conference championship game and teams that don't want to give up a bye week in their schedule by adding a 13th game.

If you can somehow convince the NCAA in giving UH and teams that play here an extra week, it will definately make the exemption meaningful again. It will still give teams 2 bye weeks and use one of them after playing us here. It will also help in scheduling games in the middle of the season if UH do decide to go independent.

Thanks

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