Central Arkansas negotiating to play at Hawaii
Posted on Thursday, July 3, 2008
CONWAY — Depending on how the final negotiations go, the Central Arkansas Bears might be bidding the state of Arkansas aloha next season.
At least for one game.
Central Arkansas Athletic Director Brad Teague confirmed on Wednesday that he is in talks with the University of Hawaii to open the 2009 football season at Hawaii.
Teague said that he originally approached Hawaii officials about three weeks ago. He was told the Warriors were looking for someone to play in Hawaii on Saturday, Sept. 5, 2009.
After talking to Central Arkansas Coach Clint Conque, Teague went back to Hawaii with a proposal to play on the preceding Thursday. Conque wanted the extra days off to recover after the long flight and a presumably tough game against a Football Bowl Subdivision team. Additionally, Conque was worried about the quick turnaround to face in-state rival Arkansas-Pine Bluff the following weekend.
Hawaii officials balked at the Thursday date, but suggested Friday as a compromise.
Teague agreed, and now the Warriors are mulling over the final proposal.
The details aren’t completely worked out, but the guarantee for the game is tentatively set at $ 125, 000 plus travel and meal costs. That’s less than the $ 200, 000 minus travel expenses that Tulsa has guaranteed Central Arkansas for traveling to play the Golden Hurricane this season, but it’s more than the $ 100, 000 minus travel costs the Bears took to travel to Louisiana Tech last season.
“And, we get to send the players to Hawaii,” Teague said.
Teague estimated Central Arkansas’ travel costs for the Tulsa and Louisiana Tech games at about $ 20, 000 for each.
Conque said the exposure of playing a team that played in a Bowl Championship Series bowl in 2007, plus the chance to take his first class of NCAA Division I seniors to Hawaii made the deal a no-brainer.
“The transition period prevents us from playing in the postseason for the chance at a national championship,” Conque said. “That makes an opportunity like this to reward the young men who have come here and sacrificed at the University of Central Arkansas all the more important. Plus, you’re talking about a team that played in the Sugar Bowl last year.”
Although Teague said he feels as if the deal is close to completion, there are other options if the deal falls through.
Teague said that he’s talked to Big 12, SEC and Big Ten schools about playing on the opening weekend should the Hawaii game not happen — although he declined to name specific schools.
“If Hawaii doesn’t happen, we’ll look at regional schools first and then expand our search,” Teague said.
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