Eagles may open at Hawaii in fall
It’s not official, but it appears Eastern Washington is going to fill out its 2007 football schedule with a season-opening game in Hawaii.
“We are not scheduled to play,” EWU athletic director Darren Hamilton said. “We are in negotiations, but we are not scheduled to play.”
The Honolulu Advertiser reported Friday morning that “Eastern Washington has reached an agreement in principle to play the University of Hawaii in a football game Sept. 8 at Aloha Stadium.”
The story quoted Hamilton as saying, “Once we sign the papers, everything will be good.”
Hawaii athletic director Herman Frazier is at an NCAA convention in Florida.
Hamilton emphasized that nothing is official.
“Right now I have my fingers crossed,” he said. “Hopefully, it will pan out.
“It’s a real great experience. It’s an outstanding experience for the kids. … I’ve only been to Hawaii through my experience of playing in the Aloha Bowl.”
It would be the second straight season the Eagles played two I-A opponents. They are already contracted to play at Brigham Young on Oct. 20.
Last season Eastern opened with consecutive games at Oregon State and West Virginia and finished the season with a 3-8 record, ending a string of seven straight winning seasons.
Hamilton has said he wouldn’t put his team through that kind of experience after the 56-17 and 52-3 losses.
“(The games are) spread out, one in September, one in October,” he said. “It’s not like it’s two Top 25 teams.”
Brigham Young finished its season 11-2 after a 38-8 win over Oregon in the Las Vegas Bowl and Hawaii finished 11-3 with a 41-24 win over Arizona State in the Hawaii Bowl. Hawaii junior quarterback Colt Brennan threw for five touchdowns against the Sun Devils, giving him the NCAA single-season record of 58. He was co-MVP of the bowl game with junior wide receiver Jason Rivers, who caught 14 passes for an all-time bowl record 308 yards.
Eastern coach Paul Wulff declined to comment about the game because it is not official.
The game would complete the Eagles’ 11-game schedule. The second week, UC Davis would visit Cheney for the home opener, one week before the Big Sky Conference opener at Idaho State.
Eastern could add a 12th game because a trip to Hawaii doesn’t count toward the limit, but Hamilton said he would not consider that. Prior to the start of the playoffs (Nov. 24), EWU’s only opening would be the first weekend.