$6 million estimated for upgrades to host Hawaii football on campus

It will cost an estimated $6 million to retrofit existing facilities to host Hawaii football games at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletic Complex on the UH Manoa campus for the next three seasons, the school said in a press release Tuesday.

The preliminary concepts and cost estimates will be presented to the UH Board of Regents on Feb. 4, at a joint meeting of the Intercollegiate Athletics and Budget &Finance committees. The plan includes increasing seating capacity around Ching Field from 3,585 seats to approximately 10,000 seats. The university is also evaluating funding sources for the project.

The proposed $6 million project includes $4.2 million for capital improvements and $1.8 million for operating costs for the 2021 season. To retrofit the entire complex, the estimation includes: $2 million in facility upgrades, including electrical, telecommunications and press box; $1.8 million for additional spectator seating; $1.1 million for relocation of scoreboards and game clocks from Aloha Stadium; $712,000 for adding concession space; $200,000 for adding benches; and $150,000 for relocating pole vault/high jump area.

UH will host six to seven games each year over the next three seasons. Along with the planned upgrades, new synthetic turf was already funded and scheduled to be installed by the start of the season.

The university began the search for a temporary “home field” after the Aloha Stadium Authority announced in Dec. 2020 that Aloha Stadium, UH’s home field since 1975, would not be able to accommodate fans for the 2021 season. The Clarence T.C. Ching Complex was selected after a number of other sites were considered including local high school football fields and neighbor island venues.