Many University of Hawaii football fans obsess over the program’s disadvantages, actual or perceived. But isolation is a legit concern.

The NCAA acknowledges that the struggle is real when it comes to travel, considering the Warriors’ nearest potential opponents are 2,500 miles away.

That’s why the Hawaii Exemption exists. It allows UH and other teams that play a game here one more regular-season game than the maximum of 12 per year.

That additional game brings in money needed to offset travel costs. But athletic directors and coaches have to weigh if that is worth sacrificing a bye week — especially now, and especially for the teams with big postseason hopes.

Schedules are backloaded more than ever before, with conference championship games and the expansion of the College Football Playoff from four to 12 teams.

That makes Week Zero more than just an appetizer, and more important than ever — not just for UH, but all of college football.

Week Zero is why the Warriors, UH opponents that play here and a few other schools with different exceptions (like playing in a foreign country) can start their seasons this Saturday, a week ahead of when most of the rest of college football gets going.

It makes scheduling much easier — whether that means taking advantage of the allowed bonus game, or adding a bye week to recover from the travel and other wear and tear.

If the expanded playoff is considered a success and becomes permanent, look for more than just a smattering of teams getting started during Week Zero in future years.

Would that in turn lead to a Week Negative One for Hawaii and its visiting opponents?

Hey, why not? We already have spring football in the winter here.

Or, maybe two games in August — which UH is playing for the first time in program history, Saturday with Delaware State and Aug. 31 against UCLA, both at home — is more than enough.

The Week Zero head start comes with more media focus for Hawaii and the other participants. That’s regardless of whether the opponent is an FCS team like the Hornets, who won one game last year, or a high-profile program like UCLA, which the Warriors lost to, 44-10, in the 2021 opener.

Since 2016, when Hawaii lost 51-31 to Cal in Sydney, UH is 3-4 in Week Zero games. After the 2021 loss at the Rose Bowl, UH lost at home and away to Vanderbilt. Zero wins when you play in Week Zero is not a good look.

Two of Hawaii’s victories during Week Zero kicked off the program’s only winning seasons since 2010. The Warriors went 8-6 after beating Colorado State 43-34 in 2018, and 10-5 after edging Arizona 45-38 in 2019.

Led by dual-threat quarterback Khalil Tate, the visiting Wildcats were favored by 10 1/2 points. At the end of a back-and-forth shootout featuring four touchdown receptions by the Warriors’ Cedric Byrd, it came down to Arizona ball at the Hawaii 31 with time for one play. Tate escaped for 30 of those yards before Manly “Pumba” Williams and Kalen Hicks recovered to stop him at the 1 in one of the greatest hustle plays in UH sports history.

It concluded after midnight on the continent, but plenty of eyes devoured this remarkable highlight feast from beginning to end, even east of Tucson. For whatever reason, it was one of just two Week Zero games five years ago, and there was no shuffle for it to get lost in.