Hawaii feels the pinch when it comes to travel

garn91 · 07-14-2008, 01:47 PM

If prices continue skyrocketing, I wonder if programs like Hawaii or Alaska-Anchorage who has a major hockey program, will drop sports all together as i'm sure Hawaii's sports revenue has got to be pretty low.

http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/ap...30373/-1/RSS03

Instead the reasons lay at the core of UH's bottom line, where the Warriors have been staring at travel costs that have doubled in less than a year. When oil prices reached $140 a barrel three weeks ago, UH officials say what had been a $400-$425 airline ticket to the West Coast for each player on one of its teams last year became an $800-$850 fare for the same flight this year.

The bankruptcies of Aloha Airlines and ATA have made charters harder to come by for UH, which had used Aloha for several years. But charters, even when available, have become "prohibitively expensive" for long trips this year, Donovan said, and will not be employed "over the water."

For example, Donovan said the Warriors paid $85,000 to charter to San Jose, Calif., for last year's game with the Spartans, and $125,000 to Idaho. Donovan said UH was quoted a $319,000 fare for Fresno State this year.

superman_101680 · 07-14-2008, 02:07 PM

This won't just impact Hawaii but schools like ISU as well. There is no way an athletics department can budget for price hikes like the airline industry is passing on to consumers.

ISUboi12 · 07-14-2008, 02:12 PM

This is a major hurdle the NCAA has to face. Last year when Hawaii's football team was undefeated, they were still not allowed to play in the NCAA championship game. Granted, they probably didn't have a chance, but they still earned the right to play that game, IMO.

Think of what that would have done for their athletics department in exposure and revenue... Instead they were snubbed for two BCS teams so the NCAA could appease the 'haves.' If I was a Warrior fan, I would really ask myself... whats the point.

This is an unfortunate circumstance the NCAA has to consider in the future. The playing field needs to be level or programs are going to fold due to the burden of cost.

LindenCy · 07-14-2008, 02:20 PM

I think this also raises another issue of why it is important to have somewhat regional conferences.

keepngoal · 07-14-2008, 02:27 PM

Originally Posted by LindenCy

I think this also raises another issue of why it is important to have somewhat regional conferences.

what is regional with Hawaii?

-keep

acs4isu · 07-14-2008, 02:32 PM

Here's a regional conference for you:
ISU, Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, Mizzou, Illinois, Northwestern, Kansas, Kansas State, & Wisconsin.
Farthest schools apart as the crow flies are Wisconsin and K-State by my reckoning. We could call it the "Big Green Conference"

BryceC · 07-14-2008, 02:35 PM

Originally Posted by ISUboi12

This is a major hurdle the NCAA has to face. Last year when Hawaii's football team was undefeated, they were still not allowed to play in the NCAA championship game. Granted, they probably didn't have a chance, but they still earned the right to play that game, IMO.

Think of what that would have done for their athletics department in exposure and revenue... Instead they were snubbed for two BCS teams so the NCAA could appease the 'haves.' If I was a Warrior fan, I would really ask myself... whats the point.

This is an unfortunate circumstance the NCAA has to consider in the future. The playing field needs to be level or programs are going to fold due to the burden of cost.

I prefer to think of it as NCAA trying to put the two best teams in the national championship. Hawaii getting absolutely drilled in their BCS game doesn't make me feel like they should have played in that game. Would LSU have scored 70 points on them?

brianhos · 07-14-2008, 02:39 PM

It is getting pretty expensive to fly. I know we are going back the Jamaica this winter, and plane tickets were almost 2x what we paid last year. The hotels down there had to lower their prices a ton just to keep people coming. It is going to hit the travel industry hard. Plus once we get $10 gas in a year, it is going to be all that much worse.

ISUboi12 · 07-14-2008, 02:45 PM

So you prefer that the NCAA tells a school they have no legit shot at ever becoming a national champion in that sport?

I wouldn't be surprised if Hawaii really isn't in danger of losing all sports programs in the immediate future... Even coming off of a BCS berth.

sodakjoe · 07-14-2008, 03:01 PM

Originally Posted by ISUboi12

So you prefer that the NCAA tells a school they have no legit shot at ever becoming a national champion in that sport?

I wouldn't be surprised if Hawaii really isn't in danger of losing all sports programs in the immediate future... Even coming off of a BCS berth.

First of all, the NCAA isn't saying they have NO legit shot. They're saying, "play and beat some better teams, and you'll be evaluated higher."

I also think you're far overstating the value of the title game vs. a BCS game. Bowl payouts are the exact same for all the BCS bowls.

BryceC · 07-14-2008, 03:03 PM

Originally Posted by ISUboi12

So you prefer that the NCAA tells a school they have no legit shot at ever becoming a national champion in that sport?

I wouldn't be surprised if Hawaii really isn't in danger of losing all sports programs in the immediate future... Even coming off of a BCS berth.

Hawaii played one good team last year and got drilled. Maybe if they had played at least one other decent team you could make a case for them.

This is just another reason why they should implement a playoff but as it stands they didn't deserve to go and that was proven when they played Georgia.

AIT · 07-14-2008, 03:29 PM

Originally Posted by ISUboi12

So you prefer that the NCAA tells a school they have no legit shot at ever becoming a national champion in that sport?

I wouldn't be surprised if Hawaii really isn't in danger of losing all sports programs in the immediate future... Even coming off of a BCS berth.

Maybe it's just semantics, but the NCAA has nothing to do with the college football postseason. The bowls and BCS are all independently run.

Hawaii and Alaska schools are probably in a lot of trouble with fuel costs. Schools that play at Hawaii in football get to play an extra game to offset their travel costs, and Hawaii still can't get anybody decent to come to them. The U of Hawaii can probably absorb travel costs, although they might have to cut the programs offered. I can't imagine everybody else in the WAC is happy about traveling to Hawaii. The non-D1 schools in those states might have to drop athletics altogether.

LindenCy · 07-14-2008, 03:41 PM

Originally Posted by keepngoal

what is regional with Hawaii?

-keep

I was referring to general travel for colleges. As far as regional, maybe they can get a pickup game going with the cast of LOST.

Cyclone711 · 07-14-2008, 04:15 PM

Originally Posted by keepngoal

what is regional with Hawaii?

-keep

Japan?

ISUboi12 · 07-14-2008, 04:47 PM

Originally Posted by sodakjoe

First of all, the NCAA isn't saying they have NO legit shot. They're saying, "play and beat some better teams, and you'll be evaluated higher."

I also think you're far overstating the value of the title game vs. a BCS game. Bowl payouts are the exact same for all the BCS bowls.

Show me the list of 'better' teams just dying to put Hawaii on their schedule and I will buy into that explanation. They obviously can't do anything about their conference.

Also, I wasn't speaking about payouts due to bowls. I was talking about fanbase donations. If ISU won every game on their schedule this year, but were snubbed from the title game, I am sure a couple of fans would see ISU athletics, particularly football as a broken investment.