WAC Schedule Updates / Super Games

Jason Kaneshiro has an update on the yet-to-be-released 2009 WAC football schedule.

"They told us that we should have it by the end of the month. That would still work for us," UH athletic director Jim Donovan said. "Most ADs are chomping at the bit to get it so we can make sure we can get our travel arrangements all done and get the travel packages out there for our fans and all those kinds of things.

"Even though it is later than usual, it is workable for us."

The league is working with ESPN on its television package and having one less weekend than usual to fit the schedule has complicated the process this year.

Donovan said the Warriors could make three appearances on national or regional television, although "that's not set in stone."

Ferd Lewis writes that the Warriors could play back-to-back road games twice this season.

For the first time in its history, the University of Hawai'i football team could play two sets of back-to-back road games in a single season, according to some scenarios under Western Athletic Conference scheduling consideration for 2009.

The Warriors already have back-to-back non-conference road games booked Sept. 12 in Seattle against Washington State and Sept. 19 at Nevada-Las Vegas. With a break in between, they could also end up playing, for example, a set of back-to-back conference road games in October.

Part of the holdup to date, conference officials said, has been negotiations with ESPN over dates and matchups. The WAC schedule was announced in February last year but the 2009 version might not be announced until next month. "I highly doubt it will be before the end of (this) month," Hurd said.

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Kaneshiro writes about new graduate assistant Mike Smith, season ticket sales and the Super Games.

"It brings us together a lot," said defensive tackle Rocky Savaiigaea, one of the 10 captains assigned to lead a team. "We work so hard during the week with individual drills, it's a good chance one day out of the week we can come together and mix it up and we just have fun with it."

With the games complete, the Warriors are looking forward to the start of spring practice on March 30.

"These guys have worked out harder than any group I've been around since I've been here as far as the offseason," McMackin said. "This is a group that really is hungry."