Fresno State and San Jose State requested earlier kickoff times at Aloha Stadium

About how an earlier kickoff time would allow his team to catch a red-eye flight out of Hawaii and avoid paying for an extra night's stay, Fresno State's Pat Hill said:
"I just don't want to spend an extra night when you're trying to save money. That's a way to save. After a game, what are you going to do? Go to sleep so you can catch a 7 o'clock flight? You're not going to get much sleep." (HA, HSB)

HA Note: "He estimated that it cost between $12,000 and $15,000 each day for food, hotel rooms and transportation."

Agreeing with Pat Hill, SJSU's Dick Tomey said:
"For all of us on the mainland who go to Hawaii to play it would be helpful if the kickoff was back (earlier) 1 hour. At the same time, if Hawaii needs an adjustment in the kickoff time at San Jose Sate or at Fresno, I think that school could accommodate them. I think that's a conversation that needs to be had. Now, whether anything can be done, I have no idea." (HSB)

HSB Note: "Hawaii athletic director Jim Donovan said Fresno State officials contacted him in the spring about possibly playing this season's game in Honolulu at 2 or 3 p.m. But the possible hardship on the fans with the mid-afternoon start and the presence of the Aloha Stadium Swap Meet led UH to keep the game at 6."

JD said that with the swap meet canceled on game days an earlier kickoff might be:
"something we would consider if Aloha Stadium was OK with it and if it was only an hour or a half-hour (change)." (HSB)

HSB Note: "The California schools have been hit hard by the economic downturn. Employees in the state university system have taken a 10 percent pay cut and will take 24 furlough days during the fiscal year."

About their budget cuts, Tomey said:
"The cuts are a real thing and we just have to see what the state mandates. I don't think we're going to be greatly affected when it comes down to what we have to do to play the game." (HSB)

HSB Note: "As all of the schools deal with the shrinking budgets, Benson said help will come next year when the league's revenues are boosted by a new ESPN contract and the new BCS rights fee which offers higher payouts to the conferences."

http://www.starbulletin.com/sports/sportsnews/20090730_earlier_starts_in_hawaii_requested_by_fresno_state_and_sjsu.html