UH may play road game against Alabama in 2006.

[Sportsbow]

Posted on: Thursday, July 8, 2004
UH may play road game against Alabama in 2006

By Stephen Tsai and Ferd Lewis
Advertiser Staff Writers

The University of Hawai'i football team is "very close" to completing a deal to play a road game against Alabama in 2006, Warrior head coach June Jones told The Advertiser yesterday.

For now, talks center on the single game in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Jones said the schools are exploring the possibility of extending the arrangement into a three-game series, with two games scheduled for Aloha Stadium.

Jones said the Warriors are expected to receive an appearance fee of "close to a million dollars" for the 2006 game.

"It's going to be the biggest pay day this school has ever seen, I'll tell you that," Jones said.

Alabama, one of the most successful programs in NCAA football history, played UH in Hawai'i in 2002 and 2003. In those years, Alabama was serving an NCAA probation and was not eligible for a postseason bowl.

Jones, UH athletic director Herman Frazier and Crimson Tide athletic director Mal Moore have had several discussions since the Warriors' 37-29 victory last November.

Jones described the proposed game in Alabama as a "huge opportunity" for "our kids."

Jones also said the Warriors have discussed playing a road game in Florida and a home-and-home series with Kansas. Those negotiations are in the preliminary stages.

Jones said adding Alabama is part of his plan of playing high-profile road games at the start of the season. "If you're ever lucky enough to beat those kinds of teams on the road early, then you've got a chance" to receive a national ranking, Jones said.

Jones, who was named UH's head coach in December 1998, said he did not want to play tough nonconference road games in 1999 and 2000.

Back then, he said, "we didn't have enough players (on the defensive and offensive lines). But we've got guys at big positions (now) that if we lose a guy now, we can finish the year. ... In 1999, if we scheduled Florida or somebody on the road, and go up and lose two or three linemen, we're done for the year. We had five (offensive linemen) who can play. Now we've got 12 guys who can play."

The Warriors have three openings on their 12-game schedule for the 2006 season. In addition to eight Western Athletic Conference games, the Warriors will play Purdue of the Big Ten Conference.

UH also is close to finalizing a deal to play Nevada-Las Vegas in 2006.

Jones said he would prefer not to fill a vacancy with a Division I-AA team, but there are few alternatives.

"It's hard to get (Division I-A) teams," he said. "We would rather play Alabama, Oklahoma, USC — all of those teams. It's tough to get the games."

Jones said he has not ruled out the possibility of the Warriors playing a game in Japan.

In other UH news, Jones said wide receiver Sean Stennis has decided to transfer. During spring practice in April, Stennis challenged for the starting job at right wideout. Ross Dickerson emerged as the starter.

"The bottom line, if he stuck it out, is he might have had a shot to play," Jones said of Stennis.

Stennis' uncle, Mike Stennis, was a UH quarterback in the late 1970s. Mike Stennis died of cancer last year.

After violating a team rule in the spring of 2003, Sean Stennis was suspended and forced to relinquish his football scholarship. He rejoined the team for the 2003 season, although his scholarship was not reinstated.

Jones said quarterback Ryan Stickler is deciding whether to move to linebacker. In spring practice, Stickler, a third-year sophomore, competed for the job as top backup to quarterback Tim Chang.

Kainoa Akina, a fourth-year junior, exited spring practice as the No. 2 quarterback. Jack Rolovich, a second-year freshman, is listed at No. 3.

With three freshman quarterbacks added to the roster, Stickler was not invited to the three-week training camp, which begins Aug. 9. He will join the team Aug. 30, the first day of UH's fall semester, when the roster may expand.

Reach Stephen Tsai at stsai@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8051 and Ferd Lewis at flewis@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8044.


http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/artic ... sp01a.html

[10]

VERY interesting. I was afraid Bama might be done with us now that they're off the... what do you call it... post-seaosn ban or whatever.
What a pay day that would be for that road game!

And Stickler at LB? Makes me wish he wasn't already a junior so we could see more of that develop.

[Kobayashi]

I'm torn! I will DEFINATLY be there, and i really hope some of you make the trip. I don't know who i'm gonna root for on this one. I may just be neutral and "observe" the game.

[warriorfan808]

If I'm not mistaken, Hawaii will be able to play 5 OOC games in 2006. We already have a home game with Purdue for 2006. This gives us three more OOC games to fill for 2006.

IMO, we should take one more road game and two more home games. If we're going to add on one more road game, we should try @Auburn. Even better, make the game right after or before the Alabama game.

Who do you all think we should fill the last 3 OOC games with?

my choices are:
Auburn (might as well play them on the road)
Washington State
BYU (I always want us to play BYU)

[wyokie]

Here's a suggestion for 2006: play at Wyoming so Hawaii can try to win back the Paniolo Trophy!!

By then, Glenn will have Wyoming hitting on all cylinders, winning MWC Championships and bowl games!!

[BigWave96744]

Kobayashi, there should be no question.... You better root for the Warriors... Remember you are the mediator of the UH Football section. What would happen to the mediator of TideFans.com if they cheered for UH???? Show us some respect.... Don the Green and Black and place your life on the line in the sea of Red and you will forever be infamous...


Wyokie, until Wyoming gets there act together there is no value in playing them... I think they are picked to finished last in the MWC... With everyone saying our schedule is weak, adding Wyoming would only validate their point.

[wyokie]

Wyokie, until Wyoming gets there act together there is no value in playing them... I think they are picked to finished last in the MWC... With everyone saying our schedule is weak, adding Wyoming would only validate their point.

Hope you like eating crow, Big Wave, because YOU will!! I guarantee Wyoming will not finish dead last this year! By 2006, Hawaii will want to play a strong Wyoming team.

But, at the present moment, I'd have to agree. Playing a weak Wyoming team would look bad on Hawaii.

In my defense, I'm just being proud of my Paniolos.

[BigWave96744]

Wow Wyokie,

I gotta admit you are a hardcore Cowboys fan (and I'm not talking Dallas).

I didn't mean to diss your school but I just got the predictions from the lastest Phil Steele's College Football Guide. He could be wrong about your Boys because he did predict UH to finish 4th...

What I was getting at is that UH got blasted for weak scheduling when we played BYU at home in 2002 years ago because BYU went from like 11-1 the previous year to crap the next and they didn't even finish last in the MWC...

If you were on this post a few months earlier, you would have read people saying we need to play SEC, BIG TEN, ACC, PAC-10 opponents on the road and they are talking about the Florida's, Oklahoma's, Miami's, USC's, etc... Even playing the #1 team in the MWC, on the road, doesn't cut it for many folks..

So put your crow back in it's nest or cook it for Phil Steele...

[H20]

Wyoming would still be better than ANY D-1AA team. People were all over Herman for scheduling FAU but no one is blasting him for Idaho.

[wyokie]

Wow Wyokie,

I gotta admit you are a hardcore Cowboys fan (and I'm not talking Dallas).

Thank you.

I didn't mean to diss your school but I just got the predictions from the lastest Phil Steele's College Football Guide. He could be wrong about your Boys because he did predict UH to finish 4th...

I don't put much faith in those pre-season mags. Although they make for some good reading.

What I was getting at is that UH got blasted for weak scheduling when we played BYU at home in 2002 years ago because BYU went from like 11-1 the previous year to crap the next and they didn't even finish last in the MWC...

Ah, BYU! Wyoming horse-whipped them good and I enjoyed every second of it! BTW, I loved when Hawaii slaughtered (sp?) BYU back in 2001 to prevent the Cougars from going a BCS bowl. Like they would've anyway.

If you were on this post a few months earlier, you would have read people saying we need to play SEC, BIG TEN, ACC, PAC-10 opponents on the road and they are talking about the Florida's, Oklahoma's, Miami's, USC's, etc... Even playing the #1 team in the MWC, on the road, doesn't cut it for many folks..

Every fan of a non-BCS program wants that! Personally I hate the idea of playing a I-AA school. It makes your program look bad. Wyoming has to play Appalachian State to start the season. Plus, later Wyoming hosts Louisiana-Monroe.

So put your crow back in it's nest or cook it for Phil Steele...

I'd love to see every sportswriter be dead wrong about the Pokes this year.

[wyokie]

Wyoming would still be better than ANY D-1AA team. People were all over Herman for scheduling FAU but no one is blasting him for Idaho.

Thanks, H20. Wyoming sadly has to play both La-Monroe AND App. State this year. So, wins over those two teams won't mean jack swat!!

Wins over Texas A & M (in College Station) and Ole Miss in Laramie will!

[BigWave96744]

OK FAU was stupid and hopefully the last D-IAA we will play...
Idaho will join the WAC in 2005 so we have no choice but to play them..

I'm kind of thinking that the WAC officials new Idaho would be their new kid on the block so AD's of both schools worked out the schedules..

My reasoning and it could be just coincidence:
We played both UNLV and Boise State the seasons before they joined the WAC... Both time people were saying that they were weak doormats, but then upped their programs once joining the WAC... REMEMBER, the last time we beat Boise State was in 1999.... So maybe there is hope for Idaho to become decent so the WAC doesn't get weaker than the Sun Belt.

Did your see our OOC sched for 2005:
USC, At Michigan State, SDSU, and Wisconsi
That's a step up from this year...

[Kobayashi]

Alabama version of the story.

BREAKING NEWS: Tide close to signing Hawaii for 2006 opener

By Cecil Hurt
Sports Editor
July 08, 2004

Email this story.

TUSCALOOSA | The University of Alabama and the University of Hawaii may be close to completing a deal for the two teams to play here in 2006. The game would tentatively be the first game in the newly-renovated Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Alabama director of athletics Mal Moore told The Tuscaloosa News on Thursday morning that a contract had not yet been signed, but that he had been involved in talks with UH director of athletics Herman Frazier and coach June Jones.

“I’ve talked with June,” Moore said. “I talked with Herman again when we were at the Fiesta Frolics (in Tempe, Ariz.) last month.

“We don’t have a contract yet, but they are definitely interested in the game.”

For now, talks center on the single game in Tuscaloosa, although Jones told the Honolulu Advertiser that the schools are exploring the possibility of extending the arrangement into a three-game series, with two games scheduled for Aloha Stadium.

Jones said the Warriors are expected to receive an appearance fee of "close to a million dollars" for the 2006 game, although sources at Alabama placed the figure at closer to $650,000.

"It's going to be the biggest pay day this school has ever seen, I'll tell you that," Jones said.

Alabama played UH in Hawaii in 2002 and 2003. In those years, Alabama was serving an NCAA probation and was not eligible for a postseason bowl.

Jones described the proposed game in Alabama as a "huge opportunity" for "our kids."

Jones also told the Advertiser that the Warriors have discussed playing a road game in Florida and a home-and-home series with Kansas. Those negotiations are in the preliminary stages.

Jones said adding Alabama is part of his plan of playing high-profile road games at the start of the season. "If you're ever lucky enough to beat those kinds of teams on the road early, then you've got a chance" to receive a national ranking, Jones said.

[Kobayashi]

Kobayashi, there should be no question.... You better root for the Warriors... Remember you are the mediator of the UH Football section. What would happen to the mediator of TideFans.com if they cheered for UH???? Show us some respect.... Don the Green and Black and place your life on the line in the sea of Red and you will forever be infamous...


Wyokie, until Wyoming gets there act together there is no value in playing them... I think they are picked to finished last in the MWC... With everyone saying our schedule is weak, adding Wyoming would only validate their point.

Since this is the season opener, i most likely will be rooting for Hawai'i. This could jumpstart the Hawaii season, while Bama being Bama would still be ok losing the season opener.

What about if i root for the home team? That means i go for Hawai'i twice and Bama just once . JK... Go Warriors!

I just hope some of you guys come down for the game!

Also, i went to school at U of Alabama, it's kinda hard to root against my alma mater.... I thought i was in the clear after the last 2 games, i never thought Alabama and Hawai'i would play each other again. sigh....

I'm applying for U of Hawai'i grad school, so if everything goes as planned i'll be in grad school that year @ UH.

Also, this will be the first game at Alabama's newly expanded Bryant-Denny Stadium. There will be 92,000 fans there

[PCBoy]

If I'm not mistaken, Hawaii will be able to play 5 OOC games in 2006. We already have a home game with Purdue for 2006. This gives us three more OOC games to fill for 2006.

IMO, we should take one more road game and two more home games. If we're going to add on one more road game, we should try @Auburn. Even better, make the game right after or before the Alabama game.

Who do you all think we should fill the last 3 OOC games with?

my choices are:
Auburn (might as well play them on the road)
Washington State
BYU (I always want us to play BYU)

Wouldn't we need only one more game? Purdue at home is signed and games at UNLV and Alabama are close to being signed?