How come no one wants to play Hawaii in football?

Question

Sporting News Maginze had a artical about some BCS teams not wanting to play Hawaii
Hawaii was even offering 750,000 dollars
It cost a BCS team around 300,000 dollars to fly, dine and stay in Hawaii. So they are walking away with 450,000 dollars in the pockets.
It doesn't count as a game for the other team
Maybe their afraid to get there butts kicked by Hawaii
They were 12-0 last season, but they didn't have a very tough schedule. Now they want to prove there good by playing better teams but not many BCS teams will play them.
Florida will have a game with them but in Florida. Florida won't play them in Hawaii though.
Whats the reason?

I as I am looking many answers I see people saying travel expenses but Hawaii was once willing to pay 750,000 dollars and it cost 300,000 to fly eat and stay there so they are still walking away with 450,000. So they are making money. Jet lag is a also a agood answer it makes a lot of sense

Answer 1

its the fact of travel expenses and sometimes, and maybe this is not THAT important..(but on the other hand it might)....the long trip and the adjustments with the time zones/jetlag. I have heard that it sucks to fly down there and play a day game down there.

Also it is like a no win situation in playing them. If you win, big deal...BUT....if you lose, its an upset! Plus the BCS voters dont give a win over Hawaii too much respect, so to speak.

Answer 2

It isn't just the cost of travel it is the time difference. Any team who traveled to Hawaii would lose time on their way home. This would shorten the players' recoup time and time for academics. Hawaii doesn't want a another road game because they travel the most in D-1. Just playing a WAC schedule is expensive. The PAC 10 is the only conference that really could make it to Hawaii and UW is going there after the Apple Cup. Hawaii just suffers from being an island. All in all it is because big schools don't want to spend the money and little schools don't have the money. BCS teams tend to be the schools that give money to other small conference teams like the Sunbelt, MAC and C-USA so they can earn money.

Answer 3

Its a lose lose situation for big BCS conference teams to go play Hawaii in Hawaii. First off a win against a mid major conference opponent doesn't score many pts in the computer rankings. Second its a very long flight from any of the schools in the SEC, ACC, Big East, Big 10, and many Big 12 teams. You'll see this a lot in college bball and football, if mid major teams want to play against teams from one of the big conferences they'll have to go play at that school. Which is some what fitting. If Hawaii goes to play at these schools and wins they're reputation would only get better and it would force these teams to come play them at home down the line in the future.

Answer 4

Flight is too long, and for the east coast they have 5-6 hour time lag. That messes up teams too much. Hawaii usually will get only west coast competition, with a very occasional exception. No coach of a good team wants to play from that much of a disadvantage. Also, Hawaii as a location is something of a sedative. It dulls the edge of visiting teams.

Answer 5

I think the main reason there's resistance to play Hawaii at home is the time lag. Especially for east coast teams like Florida, thats what, a 6, 7 hour difference? They'd be awfully tired when they came back, and they'd likely have another serious opponent coming up the next week to face, too.

Its the same reason that the old World Football League, the NFLE's predecessor, ended up being compressed to just Europe.

Plus, are you going to tell your team that they're flying out to Hawaii but they arent going to get any time to go relax and enjoy the scenery? If you tried to keep your team on the field all week, you'd lose morale. If you let them go, they'd go party it up and come back worse for the wear.

Just too many no-win situations, unfortunately.

Answer 6

After reading some posts, I think some have got the idea.
1. BCS
2. Upset

Hawaii is a risk. I was there for about 10 years and one of those years ND came to visit. They won on a last second FG.
Bama/BSU walked out of there last year with a win barely. And not to many teams want to take the risk. They are a good team and very dangerous. With people talking about QB Colt Brennan as a Heisman Possible this season, really not a good idea. But hey. I still follow the games.

Answer 7

Travel expenses may be reimbursed plus some, but the revenue lost from not having a home game is the key. It takes a pretty marque matchup to give up that lost revenue, and although Hawaii did pretty good last year at 11-3 (not 12-0), they are not a marque matchup.

Answer 8

I heard one time, from an announcer on T.V., to always pick Hawaii,if they are playing at home, if you are betting any money. He went on to explain, that when a team travels to Hawaii, they experience jet lag and fatigue, from the extremely long flight across the ocean. If your team is not feeling well, you are sure to lose. I have taken this announcer's advice, and it sure has paid off, on the bet slips. I believe this is why teams do not want to go to Hawaii. This sure made sense to me.

Answer 9

1. I think the biggest reason is travel expenses.
2. BCS schools don't want to risk the upset, they have a Heisman canidate at QB (Colt Brennan) and stand the possibility of losing. This day and age a BCS contender doesn't want to lose to a non-BCS school because it will ruin any chance at a National Championship.

Answer 10

Because there use to be like a 10 year waiting list to play them in Hawaii but since they have been getting better no one wants to risk the upset.