UNLV Series Extended to 2018 / No SEC / USC Series

Ferd Lewis writes that a five-game extension of the UH-UNLV series will soon be announced.

This season, UH will play Sept. 19 in Las Vegas. And the two are scheduled to meet again Dec. 4, 2010 at Aloha Stadium and Sept. 17, 2011 at UNLV.

Five additional games — 2012 (at UH), 2014 (at UH), 2015 (at UNLV), 2017 (at UNLV) and 2018 (at UH) — have also recently been finalized, UNLV said.

An announcement from UH is expected shortly.

Lewis also writes that Jim Donovan recently turned down a $1 million offer from a SEC school, and takes a look at reasons why:

Thankfully, despite its financial straits, UH isn't desperate enough to snap up "body bag" road games against national championship contenders like the one that sent them to Florida last season for $600,000, without benefit of a return game. Though, in the current climate, that may come soon enough.

SEC teams are paying well for assisted suicides these days. Georgia is giving North Texas $975,000 for a 2013 appearance, New Mexico State $925,000 in 2011 and Louisiana-Lafayette $875,000 in 2010, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

UH could use that kind of money, but not the five time-zone expedition and beatings without benefit of a return home game that come with it.

Jason Kaneshiro takes a look at the benefits of the UH-USC series.

National exposure. Probable sellouts. The financial guarantees.

Hawaii's football relationship with USC comes with various benefits, and UH officials hope extending the series with the Trojans will pay off on signing day as well.

"The intangible is it's attractive for players from Hawaii to know they'll get to play a team like USC," UH athletic director Jim Donovan said. "So it helps us in recruiting."

Dave Reardon looks at the UH-USC series as well.

Money's a big reason. Hosting USC is a guaranteed sellout. And there's a $350,000 check for UH when it goes to the Coliseum (same amount the Trojans get for appearing at Aloha Stadium).

Geography figures in. A 5-hour flight makes a lot more sense than a 10-hour flight.

"Normally, Coach Mack wants to play in the West. He doesn't mind any Pac-10 team, sees it as a positive for recruiting," Donovan said. "As long as it's a home-and-home. We'll consider east of the Mississippi, but not very often."

Such an exception is Army. That home-and-home series was booked because former UH player and assistant Rich Ellerson is coach of the Black Knights, and -- as Jones pointed out -- it makes sense for Hawaii to play the service academies.

The Warriors won't, however, go all the way to the Atlantic without a return engagement. If Tim Tebow and the Gators were coming to Aloha Stadium this fall, it might have been worth the debacle in The Swamp last year. But they're not.