I hate it when I have ideas for a blog post, but by the time I get to blogging about it, my ideas become obsolete.
Last month, it was announced that the Aloha Stadium was shut-down for good, no longer usable due to the lack of funds to keep it maintained while we continue to wait forever for the new stadium to start being built.
There was talk of having the UH football games played on Maui since they have the next largest stadium in the Hawaiian islands. (Maui War Memorial Stadium)
Kyle Chinen and Allyson Blair, “Hawaii Football Team Searching for New Home Following Aloha Stadium Shut Down,” Hawaii News Now, December 17, 2021, https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2020/12/17/uh-football-looks-new-home-after-aloha-stadium-shut-down/.
State Sen. Glenn Wakai said the university will have to make some very difficult decisions in the coming months.
“If I were at the table, I would suggest taking some of these games to the neighbor islands,” he said.
Wakai called it a unique opportunity to cultivate Hawaii’s fan base, and it’s one that has been done before.
In 2001 the Warriors held their season opener at Maui’s War Memorial Stadium. But critics say that idea might not be as simple as it seems, arguing that opponents could object to playing if the field is not up to Division I standards.
I thought that was a good idea. I totally agreed with having UH football team play a game on Maui, the Big Island, and Kauai as well. That way, the game is accessible to people who don't live on Oahu. It would be a morale boost if the people living on the other islands have a chance to watch Hawaii's team play on their island.
I was also thinking it would be a good idea to also have the games played in areas of Oahu that are far from the UH-Manoa campus and Aloha Stadium. I was thinking of having those games played in the high school stadiums of Kahuku, Waianae, or Mililani. Their high schools usually have good teams with players recruited by many colleges.
Bringing the game to different parts of Hawaii would be a great way to not only bring the game to people who usually can't go the distance to the game but also reignite the passion for the team! Maybe families in those areas can bring their kids to the games and those kids could become passionate UH fans. This passion might even get the most athletic of those kids to choose UH over the other colleges that might be recruiting them.
I was going to blog all that today, but before I had the chance to blog about it, it was announced that the UH football team will play their games on the on-campus facility where they usually practice.
Jackson Moore, “Hawaii to Play Home Games at On-Campus Ching Athletic Complex,” 24-7 Sports, January 11, 2021, https://247sports.com/college/hawaii/Article/Hawaii-Aloha-Stadium-football-Clarence-TC-Ching-Athletics-Complex-Rainbow-Warriors-UH--159045666/.
With the future of Aloha Stadium in doubt, Hawaii Athletics announced Monday that the department will begin preparations to play their home football season at the on-campus Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex for the next three years. The 2,500 capacity venue is a drastically different setting than the former home of the NFL Pro Bowl, though UH has a list of upgrades set to take place this offseason.
The checklist of upgrades to the stadium includes increased seating capacity, new turf, a new scoreboard, a new speaker system, an upgraded press box, and "other amenities needed to host Division I college football games." The eventual capacity numbers are yet to be announced.
The good news for me is that I can just walk to the games. I live within walking distance from the UHM campus. No need for a long bus ride to & from the game. No need to be stuck in traffic for me.
But dammit, it would've been great if my earlier ideas of bringing the games to different parts of Hawaii would've been a reality!
