Hawaii Looks Like Longshot for Hawaii Bowl

[Stallion]

the 2003 game between TCU (then CUSA) and Boise was negotiated-actually was supposed to be CUSA v. Big 12. Boise was brought in because both teams were highly ranked. Game was between a 11-1 TCU and 12-1 Boise in the very first year of bowl's existence.

http://www.collegefootballpoll.com/2003 ... bowls.html

[RGV Pony]

How about this? Navy takes Army's spot in the DC bowl, we go to Houston and play a Big XII team. We need to win some games first, but I'd love to catch a limping, maimed 6-6 aTm team in a venue like that. Nice stadium, we've got some fans there, 2/3 of it full of aggies, then beat them.

That's assuming a lot, I know.

[CalallenStang]

We need Garrett to opine on this. What is Hawaii's interest in SMU if Hawaii is not bowl eligible?

I'm not Garret, but I do study business. IMO, Hawaii's interest in SMU is greater if Hawaii is not bowl-eligible. This is because without Hawaii in the game, the game's biggest source of revenue (Hawaii fans) have no interest. If you bring in SMU, Hawaii fans show up to: 1) Cheer on June Jones, or 2) Berate June Jones for leaving the Islands. Therefore, SMU brings the source of revenue back that would otherwise not be there.

[CalallenStang]

And Hawaii needs 7 wins to be bowl-eligible. They play a 13 game schedule and you can't go to a bowl at 6-7.

[Stallion]

Yeah its just hard to see people lining up to see the Coach who left them for another program. But I guess he maintains a lot of friends in the Islands. Its still got to be a tough sell whenever Hawaii isn't playing in that bowl:

2007 Boise v ECU drew 30,467
2005 UCF v. Nevada drew 16,134

[CalallenStang]

Yeah its just hard to see people lining up to see the Coach who left them for another program. But I guess he maintains a lot of friends in the Islands. Its still got to be a tough sell whenever Hawaii isn't playing in that bowl

but remember the circumstances under which he left, most people blamed the athletic director and school administration, not Jones. The people on the Hawaii board keep tabs on SMU too (when I was on there asking questions about Washington State, one of the threads was titled "Who gets three wins first, Hawaii or SMU?")

[CalallenStang]

Yeah its just hard to see people lining up to see the Coach who left them for another program. But I guess he maintains a lot of friends in the Islands. Its still got to be a tough sell whenever Hawaii isn't playing in that bowl:

2007 Boise v ECU drew 30,467
2005 UCF v. Nevada drew 16,134

ECU gave some ridiculous number of tickets to the military in order to get that attendance figure up.

[NickSMU17]

I would much prefer SMU play closer to home, as it will be hard to get to Hawaii for that game...but beggars can't be choosy, and the coaching staff seems dead set on playing in Hawaii

[Garret]

We need Garrett to opine on this. What is Hawaii's interest in SMU if Hawaii is not bowl eligible?

I'm not Garret, but I do study business. IMO, Hawaii's interest in SMU is greater if Hawaii is not bowl-eligible. This is because without Hawaii in the game, the game's biggest source of revenue (Hawaii fans) have no interest. If you bring in SMU, Hawaii fans show up to: 1) Cheer on June Jones, or 2) Berate June Jones for leaving the Islands. Therefore, SMU brings the source of revenue back that would otherwise not be there.

I agree with everything you said here. If Hawaii is not in the Hawaii Bowl, the bowl needs some other team to draw the fans. The other WAC teams won't be a big draw, and C-USA teams outside of SMU will not draw the fans.

There is a worry among many that the Hawaii Bowl could be lost if the attendance drops too significantly, and attendance will be down without Hawaii playing in the game. The need to keep the game will prevent any team other than SMU from being selected. When Boise State played East Carolina, I know of many Hawaii fans (my parents for example) who bought tickets, entered the stadium (so they would count in the turnstile attendance figures) and then immediately exited the stadium to go back home.

The Hawaii Bowl only exists due to the controversy over Hawaii's season-ending blowout (72-45) of 12-0 BYU on ESPN, where Hawaii had no bowl game to go to despite being on a great roll. Hawaii won 8 out of their last 9 games, but a 9-3 record wasn't enough to go to a bowl. It is amazing that 6-6 is enough for a bowl game now when 9-3 wasn't enough in 2001.

Nice end of season stretch for Rolovich, who entered the season as the 3rd team QB:
3,361 yards and 34 touchdowns in 9 games

last 3 games:
Miami (Ohio): 500 yards passing, 7 TDs
Air Force: 505 yards passing 5 TDs
BYU: 543 yards, 8 TDs

[RGV Pony]

That's also a big reason Joe Tiller wound up at Purdue. His Wyoming team finished something like 10-1 or 10-2 around the same time, but lost the WAC championship game, and went nowhere. Upon taking the Purdue job, he said something to the effect of having taken Wyoming about as far as he could, but when you go [whatever the record was] and don't go anywhere, it sucks...paraphrasing, of course.

[TheBestAvailable]

TCU will lose to Utah.

[Insane_Pony_Posse]

2-4 with 4 game losing streak

Looks like Hawaii is on a downward spiral since June Jones departed!

[CalallenStang]

2-4 with 4 game losing streak

Looks like Hawaii is on a downward spiral since June Jones departed!

They've had some devastating injuries.

[ALEX LIFESON]

In June Jones last two seasons in Hawaii, they won 11 games in 2006, and 12 games in 07.
Post June Jones, Hawaii was 7-6 in 2008, and so far (with injuries) Hawaii is 2-4 in 2009.

[George S. Patton]

TCU will lose to Utah.

They play at BYU this weekend. Is that what you meant? They play Utah at home in mid-November.