Hawaii football fans excited for new home field

By Keith Demolder

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    HONOLULU, Hawaii (KITV) — While the rest of campus remains silent, the banging of hammers and clanging of metal bleachers signal change at the University of Hawaii-Manoa’s Clarence T. C. Ching Athletics Complex. Construction crews are hard at work building a $10.1 million stadium that will serve as the Rainbow Warriors home while the New Aloha Stadium is being constructed. And although the new stadium will fit just 9,000 fans in its first year, university officials tell KITV that the Hawaii football community has been understanding. “You either step up or you step aside and I’ve seen a lot of people try to step up and trying to do good things,” lifelong Hawaii football fan Mark Sugui said. “Sure, 9,000 is kind of small, but you can’t build everything right away. Obviously, it would be cool to have a 50,000-person stadium, but you can’t expect that.”

Students will be allowed into games on a first come first served basis to watch UH play its first ever on-campus games. Fans say that added home field advantage of having games on campus will make a difference this fall. “One of the main aspects is the student section,” Sugui said. “I really do feel like that’s going to be a big difference. That excitement is going to make students want to go, too. And if that’s the case, it’ll be just like the volleyball games were where there’s a tremendous home field advantage. If you win, people will go to see you.” The university has fully funded improvements that includes grandstands (to increase capacity to 9,000 seats), hospitality suites, six new press boxes, electrical and telecommunications upgrades, field goal netting, game clocks, new concession capacity, temporary bathroom facilities, new artificial turf and scoreboard. “UH football, it’s our pro sport, it’s our pro football team,” UH spokesperson Dan Meisenzahl said. “There’s a passionate following and it’s just been a part of our DNA. We refer to our football team as the front porch of the University of Hawaii. It’s a big part of who we are.” With just little over two months until Hawaii’s home opener against Portland State on Sept. 4, the university ensures that the stadium’s best is yet to come.

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