The competition within the Hawaii Bowl for the University of Hawaii is to break even — or better — on the financial bottom line.
“We’re still waiting on a couple of things but I think we’ll be pretty close to breaking even,” UH athletic director David Matlin said of the Rainbow Warriors’ appearance in Saturday’s nationally televised game with Louisiana Tech at Aloha Stadium.
In UH’s last postseason appearance, the 2016 Hawaii Bowl, victory over Middle Tennessee, Matlin said the athletic department realized a surplus of approximately $7,500.
“If you break even it is really a ‘win’ with the exposure and extra practice time (gained),” Matlin said.
The ESPN Events-owned and operated bowl pays the Mountain West Conference with which it has a contractual agreement. The conference gives its participating schools a budget based upon the bowl, distance traveled and other factors.
UH, unlike most schools, does not have a minimum requirement of tickets it must sell to its game.
Aloha Stadium officials said Thursday they are expecting a crowd of 30,000-35,000.
In UH’s case this year, Matlin said the Rainbow Warriors receive $425,000 from the MWC from which they pay for hotel rooms, meals, per diem, transportation, gifts for players and other expenses.
For its accounting purposes, UH also figures postseason bonuses for the coaches into its overall equation.
Under UH’s listed executive compensation policy, the Warriors’ 10 assistant coaches may be granted as much as one month’s salary as a bowl bonus. According to his 2015 contract, head coach Nick Rolovich could earn a $20,000 bonus for UH’s appearance or $40,000 if UH beats the Bulldogs.
Bowl organizers can provide gifts up to a $550 value per athlete which players usually select from a gift suite.
UH’s record take-home for a bowl appearance was approximately $2 million of a $4.4 million payout for the 2008 Sugar Bowl against Georgia as part of the then-Bowl Championship Series. The eight other Western Athletic Conference members each received $410,555 from UH’s appearance.
Had MWC champion Fresno State qualified for one of the New Year’s Six bowls this season, UH would have reaped a $166,000 share.