LAS VEGAS >> Mountain West commissioner Craig Thompson said football games in the University of Hawaii’s retrofitted on-campus stadium will be “a tough ticket to get.”

The Clarence T.C. Ching Athletic Complex will expand to about 9,000 bench seating for spectators this coming season. The Rainbow Warriors had about 16,000 season-ticket obligations in 2019.

The Rainbow Warriors were forced to find a new home site when Aloha Stadium officials announced the 46-year-old Halawa facility would no longer be able to host events with spectators because of structural issues. The hope is a new stadium in Halawa will be built in three years.

“It’s going to be workable and serviceable,” Thompson said of Ching field at the Mountain West Football Media Days in Las Vegas.

UH is hopeful a zoning restriction will be amended to allow Ching to expand to 15,000 seats in 2022. Thompson said the NCAA rule requiring an average of 15,000 ticket sales should not be a problem. It was waived during the pandemic.

“The NCAA had that 15,000 deal, but that’s not the world’s hardest, either,” Thompson said. “If you’re building a new stadium and (at the temporary facility) you’re less than, you’re less than. What are they going to do? Kick you out of the NCAA or Division I football because you’re building a new stadium and playing in a smaller place? No, the attendance shouldn’t be a concern. Everything is on track and on plan.”

But Thompson said if a new stadium in Halawa is not built nor Ching expands, “that’s a different question. If they’re going to play on campus in a 10,000-seat stadium forever and ever, that’s probably something that would be discussed.”

San Jose State coach Brent Brennan is a former graduate assistant with the Warriors. “I always thought that would be a real game-changer if UH could get a stadium on campus,” Brennan said. “Even though Aloha Stadium had a bunch of cool parts about it, it was also far away. I experienced that as a player with UCLA playing in the Rose Bowl (in Pasadena). It’s awesome playing in the Rose Bowl, but you still have to travel 30, 40 minutes to get there.”

San Diego State coach Brady Hoke said he looks forward to the Aztecs’ game at Ching.

“You go out there, and I’m sure the field is going to be 120 (yards) if you count the end zones, and 53-6 wide,” Hoke said. “It’s all going to be the same. It’s football. I think it’s going to be a pretty cool experience, I really do.”

Leahey takes over play-by-play role

Kanoa Leahey, 43, will be the play-by-play announcer for Spectrum Sports’ telecasts of UH football games.

Robert Kekaula, who was the announcer for 10 years, died in June.

“Obviously, it’s under difficult circumstances,” Leahey said, “Robert left us too soon. He was an original. He carried a huge presence. It’s difficult because there’s no replacing Robert.”

Leahey is a multiple winner of broadcast awards who calls UH basketball, volleyball and baseball games for Spectrum. He also works with national cable outlets, as well as co-hosts a radio show. His father, Jim Leahey, was the play-by-play announcer for UH sports for three decades.

Leahey described calling UH sportscasts “a great responsibility. I have a tremendous respect for that position growing up in Hawaii and working in Hawaii as a guy in sports media. We always envision calling the University of Hawaii football games as being one of the pinnacle endeavors. … I approach this with a great amount of humility, and I feel very privileged and honored to be following essentially in the footsteps of two guys who perhaps had the largest influence in me personally and professionally in Robert and my father. My goal is to live up to the standard they set as much as possible and hopefully make them proud.”

Boise State’s Kaniho gets another chance

Boise State defensive back Kekaula Kaniho being in the right place is not coincidental.

“It’s taking the time to study, know our defense and learn the other team’s offense, and be prepared to put myself in a position to make plays,” said Kaniho, who has five career interceptions, three forced fumbles, and three recoveries. “Sometimes the ball comes your way, sometimes it doesn’t. Lucky and fortunate for me it ends up bouncing toward where I am.”

Kaniho is a Kahuku graduate who is making use of a pandemic-related exemption allowing him a second senior year with the Broncos.

Kaniho expressed sadness over Robert Kekaula’s death. The sportscaster often joked he was related to Kaniho because of the player’s first name. Kekaula kept in frequent communication with Kaniho and his family.

“No matter where I was, he always continued to support me,” Kaniho said. “I miss him a lot. I’m sad to see what happened. He was a great human being for the state and the sports world in Hawaii.”