LAS VEGAS >> The shifting landscape of college athletics will have no impact on the University of Hawaii’s status as a football-only member of the Mountain West Conference.
Gloria Nevarez, who succeeded retired Craig Thompson as the league’s commissioner on Jan. 1, reaffirmed UH as an important member of the 25-year-old conference.
In seceding from the Western Athletic Conference to join the Mountain West in 2012, UH agreed to provide travel subsidies for visiting football teams and receive a minimal cut of the MWC’s national television contracts. (Most of UH’s other sports compete in the Big West.)
In return, UH is allowed to keep the nearly $3.1 million it receives annually in television rights from Spectrum.
Nevarez gave her blessing to the TV arrangement between UH and the Mountain West.
“I think it’s a good partnership,” UH athletic director Craig Angelos said. “They let us keep the Spectrum deal, which has been fantastic, and they give us a little more.”
The MWC pays UH about $500,000 each year as appearance fees for nationally televised games.
“They’re a football-only member, so it’s really only about football,” Nevarez said of the Warriors. “I think they have a great fan base and following. I know the coach (Timmy Chang) is really trying to rebuild that program. And they have great plans for renovations. I was there this summer with our league meetings, and it was really impressive to see all the plans in the works.”
UH had to retrofit the Ching Complex, its on-campus facility, for home football games after Aloha Stadium, in December 2020, was self-condemned from serving as host to spectator-attended events because of structural issues. This offseason, Ching was expanded from 9,300 seats to 15,300. UH is offering season-ticket holders the opportunity to purchase tickets in areas with seat backs and padded seats.
“We’ll continue to upgrade until we have a permanent solution,” Angelos said of the stadium situation. A replacement for Aloha Stadium is projected to be built in 2028.
Nevarez sees positives in San Diego State
In a state-of-the-league address, Nevarez confirmed an agreement has been reached in which San Diego State will remain as a member for at least another two academic years.
“San Diego State is a positive to the Mountain West,” Nevarez told reporters at the league’s Football Media Days in Las Vegas. “We are better with San Diego State in the league, and I feel really good where we landed.”
The settlement, in which Nevarez declined to provide details of the negotiations, concludes — for now — a dispute triggered when SDSU sent a letter to the conference that it “intends to resign” its membership prior to the June 30 deadline. A seceding school must give a year’s notice as well as pay a $17 million exit fee.
In deciding to remain — a membership offer from the Pac-12 has yet to materialize — the Aztecs insist they never officially declared their intended departure. The MWC, claiming SDSU did indeed file notice, withheld $6.6 million in annual distribution as down payment on the exit fee. With the agreement, the MWC released the freeze on SDSU’s distribution.
In acknowledging that conference jumping is a “regular part of business,” Nevarez said there is no assurance that SDSU or any other member will not depart after the 2023-24 academic year. But she said the league is poised to become one of the top six football conferences, which could lead to an automatic berth when the playoffs expands to 12 schools next year.
Hawaii gives up on media guides
After six decades, UH will no longer publish a football media guide.
The guides have served as yearbooks, reference books, and recruiting brochures. Publishing costs have been cited in the decision.
The Mountain West’s media guide will be available only as an on-line version. Some MWC schools have made their guides available on flash drives.
