HONOLULU – The University of Hawai'i Athletics Department has announced plans for a football scrimmage on Maui and details for the “Warrior Bowl,” which culminates spring practice.

 

On Saturday, April 11, the Warriors will fly to Maui to hold an intrasquad scrimmage at the War Memorial Stadium beginning at 11:00 a.m., followed by an autograph session on the field.

 

No state funds will be used to pay for the trip and donations from McDonald's and Oceanic Time Warner Cable, as well as support from Hawaiian Airlines and Panda Travel, and in-kind support from the County of Maui will cover the expenses.

 

The “Warrior Bowl” intrasquad scrimmage will be held at Aloha Stadium on Saturday, April 25, at 3:00 p.m. Prior to the game, McMackin and several UH football players will be available for autographs and photos from 1:00-2:30 p.m. on the South Endzone concourse. Fans are encouraged to bring their cameras and items to sign. Parking is $1 and fans can enter through Gate 4 beginning at 1:00 p.m. Admission is free.

 

Beginning at 3:00 p.m., the Warriors will play the four-quarter “Warrior Bowl.” Fans are invited to sit in the stands on the Makai side of the stadium.

 

The Warriors open spring practice Monday, March 30, at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletic Complex, which features a new artificial playing surface. UH has not practiced on the field since 2003.

 

“We're Hawai'i`s Team, so we are thrilled that we've been able to partner with McDonald's, Oceanic, Hawaiian Airlines, Panda Travel, and the County of Maui in making this outreach initiative a reality. Without their support, we would never have been able to take our football team to Maui and have the opportunity to interact with UH fans on a neighbor island.”

 

“There is a very loyal UH football fan base on Maui — there were a lot of home-based 'tailgate' parties going on in my neighborhood on game day! This will be an exciting opportunity for our youth, as well as our entire community, to experience Warrior football action here on Maui and I'm gratified that the County is able to help make this happen.”

 

“We're pleased to provide funding for the UH football team's trip to Maui for this scrimmage. The citizens of Maui will be able to meet Coach McMackin and the players in person and that will certainly get them excited about the 2009 season. Aside from O'ahu, Maui has the most pay-per-view subscribers, so UH definitely has a big following there and I'm sure the fans will really appreciate the opportunity to spend some time with the Warriors.”

 

Veronica Kaneko, President, McDonald's of Hawaii Region
”McDonald's of Hawaii is a proud Corporate Partner of UH Athletics and we are happy to help support the team's neighbor-island visit to Maui. In addition to assisting with the travel costs, we will also donate 300 Big Macs and bottles of water for the players and staff.”

 

“As I repeatedly tell our players, we represent the state of Hawai'i. We're very excited about scrimmaging on a neighbor island and allowing our fans on Maui to see us in person. We have many great fans there and this is our chance to thank them personally for their support.”