Early signs suggest University of Hawaii football season-ticket sales could end their downward trend of recent years, officials said.
“I think the trend is positive with our early renewal rate about 81 percent,” athletic director David Matlin said Tuesday.
He said UH has sold 12,156 season tickets to date, including 434 new ones. “That’s pretty good for May compared to past trends,” Matlin said.
Some years the renewal rate has been under 70 percent at this time, contributing to a free-fall that had seen season tickets drop from 27,699 in 2008 to 14,454 last season, the lowest in more than 35 years.
But coming off the Rainbow Warriors’ 7-7 finish and Hawaii Bowl victory, UH began one of its earliest renewal drives and Matlin said, “Given that we are still one month earlier in the process than in past years, UH Athletics is looking forward to improving on the 14,454 season tickets purchased last season with the time still left to purchase tickets and taking into account the traditional surge in sales as purchasing deadlines approach.”
Matlin said, “While we are appreciating the strong showing of support by our fans, there are still lots of good seats available and we would encourage Rainbow Warrior Football fans to get their tickets and come and enjoy the excitement.”
UH dropped prices in most end zone locations and sideline yellow sections and is offering student and senior pricing in the south end zone orange level for the first time.
Season tickets rose from 20,990 in 2011 to 20,994 in 2012 but have been on a slide since.
Matlin said, “We’re just trying to grow the numbers. We dropped about 12,000 since the most recent high water mark (2008), so we’re just trying to grow the base back. Of course, the way you do that is that you stabilize it and then start building it back up.”
UH softball places three
on All-Big West first team
Three University of Hawaii softball players were named to the All-Big West first team and Rainbow Wahine shortstop Angelique Ramos earned conference freshman of the year honors today.
UH senior first baseman Heather Morales, junior pitcher Brittany Hitchcock and sophomore third baseman Nicole Lopez were voted to the all-conference first team for the first time in their Rainbow Wahine careers.
Morales, a second-team pick in 2015, hit .319 overall, .305 in Big West games, with eight home runs and drove in a team-high 36 runs.
Hitchcock made the second team the previous two seasons and went 19-12 and ranked fifth in the conference with a 1.85 earned-run average as a junior. The right-hander threw eight shutouts and finished second in the Big West with 169 strikeouts against 28 walks in 204 2/3 innings. She posted a 7-6 record and 1.74 ERA in league play.
Lopez, last season’s Big West freshman field player of the year, led the ‘Bows with a .331 batting average and 11 doubles. She drove in 32 runs and finished second in the conference with 12 home runs.
Ramos hit .310 overall and a team-high .353 in conference play to become the second straight UH player to claim the Big West freshman field player of the year award. She finished with six home runs and drove in 17 and was also named to the All-Big West second team.
Junior center fielder Danielle Garcielita (.323, seven stolen bases) and freshman catcher/designated player Callee Heen (.275, nine home runs, 30 RBIs) were honorable mention selections.
Ramos, Heen and outfielder Chardonnay Pantastico (.333, two home runs in Big West games) made the All-Freshman team.
UH closed the season at 29-23 overall and 8-13 in Big West play
