UH, Aloha Stadium making special preparations for sellout crowds

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Contact:
Derek Inouchi, 956-4478
Sports Information Officer
Posted: Nov 14, 2007

The University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa and Aloha Stadium are working collectively to prepare for sellout crowds (50,000) for the Boise State and Washington football games on Nov. 23 and Dec. 1, respectively.

"We are experiencing an incredibly successful football season, which is providing fantastic exposure for our university and our entire state," Herman Frazier, UH athletics director, said. "Therefore, we want to ensure that nothing detracts from the accomplishments of these talented student-athletes or the positive national exposure they are generating.

"We‘ve had very constructive meetings with Aloha Stadium. All groups involved with UH football are committed to providing a quality game experience for our fans and those of the visiting teams. In particular, we have reviewed security needs, especially around the perimeter of the visiting fans‘ sections in the north end zone. We are putting a premium on good sportsmanship and acceptable fan behavior."

UH and Aloha Stadium officials held a conference call with the media Wednesday morning (Nov. 14) and discussed the various initiatives that will be administered in order to deal with the capacity crowds.

"Our main concern is always public safety," Scott Chan, Aloha Stadium manger, said. "We will implement several security measures in order to ensure that our guests have a comfortable and enjoyable visit to our stadium. We will heighten our staffing and security presence around the visitor‘s section and implement a task force to focus on inappropriate behavior and allow the officers to remain at their assigned posts. We support the effort that UH is making to help promote good sportsmanship at its football games."

Prior to the Boise State contest, UH and Aloha Stadium will initiate a public relations campaign in order to communicate the heightened security measures and to emphasize good sportsmanship at Warrior football games. These initiatives include:

1. June Jones, UH head football coach, will tape a 30-second public service announcement, which will air on local television and radio stations, asking UH fans to show aloha to our visitors and to demonstrate good sportsmanship. The PSA will also air on the stadium Jumbotron prior to the start of the game.

2. Coach Jones will echo the good sportsmanship message in his interview sessions with the media, including his weekly press conference.

3. Print advertisements will be placed in the local newspapers with the good sportsmanship message

4. Through all media outlets, UH will communicate the good sportsmanship message and encourage all fans to act responsibly.

5. UH‘s weekly e-newsletter (H-Mail - circulation 34,000) will feature an appeal to fans with the same theme

6. Aloha Stadium will implement a task force to focus on inappropriate behavior and ensure public safety.


"I‘m very pleased and supportive of the various plans and strategies that the Athletics Department and Aloha Stadium have initiated," said UH Manoa Chancellor Virginia Hinshaw. "We expect our football players and coaching staff to demonstrate the highest level of sportsmanship on the field and we have that same expectation for our fans. Our campus and our community are fortunate to have visitors supporting other academic institutions at athletic and other campus events, so we should warmly welcome them and be great hosts."

The 16th-ranked Warriors (9-0) play at Nevada Friday, Nov. 16, before returning home to close out the regular season against Boise State and Washington. The Boise State game is already sold out and less than 5,000 tickets remain for the Washington contest.

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