Slow day today for Jim Donovan … After Thursday’s announcement of an unprecedented $5 million donation from the Clarence T.C. Ching Foundation to refurbish athletic facilities on campus, today’s release regarding an Aloha Stadium parking lot deal nets UH a measly potential $100,000 for athletic scholarships. (For those of you who don’t get it, I’m making a joke — $5.1 million in two days is great by anyone’s standards, and cooperation between UH and the stadium? What a concept!)

Actually, Donovan finalized the stadium deal yesterday at the authority’s monthly meeting before heading to Kapolei for the Board of Regents session and press conference to collect the outsized Happy Gilmore-style Ching check.

Donovan had glowing words today for Aloha Stadium.

“In my time period of working with the stadium via the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl, and my first two and a half months (as UH athletic director) Aloha Stadium’s management and the stadium authority has been as cooperative as any entity. They understand that it’s about making the product viable and better.”

As for the swap meet, don’t expect any miracles, but Donovan and stadium manager Scott Chan have had some discussions about how UH football and the other big-money tenant can “co-exist” (the AD’s word).

Outside is no place to be at noon in August in Gainesville, Fla.

But that’s where the Hawaii football team and its most stalwart fans will be Aug. 30. The Warriors open against the Gators in The Swamp, and the game starts at 12:30 p.m.

Gainesville is one of the most humid places I’ve ever experienced, and it’s at its sticky, muggy worst in the summer.

 Runza^® Restaurants has signed an agreement to become the title sponsor of the American Volleyball Coaches Association’s College Volleyball Showcase

Teams are Nebraska, Texas, USC and Stanford. 

the event will return to Qwest Center Omaha in 2008, for the first of a new three-year contract through 2010.

Tickets to the event will go on sale to the general public this Saturday, May 31 exclusively through Qwest Center Omaha and Ticketmaster.  All-session ticket prices are $39 and $32.

For the first time,  the Showcase will be played in a Conference Challenge format.  The Conference Challenge will feature four of the elite teams in the country, in a showdown of schools from two of the top conferences in the NCAA, the Big 12 and Pac-10.  Under the Conference Challenge format, each school will play the two teams from the other conference, and not play the other school from its own league.

The 2008 Runza/AVCA College Volleyball Showcase will begin on Friday, August 29 with Nebraska going up against Stanford at  7 p.m. CDT, andTexas squaring off against USC at 9:30.  On Sunday, August 31,  Texas will tangle with Stanford at 12:30 p.m. CDT , and  Nebraska will face off with USC at 3,.  Tickets for the 2008 Runza/AVCA College Volleyball Showcase will go on sale to the general public this Saturday, May 31 at noon CDT, exclusively through Qwest Center Omaha and Ticketmaster.  All four matches will be shown live on CBS College Sports Network.

Contact Qwest Center Omaha by telephone at (402) 341-1500, or on the Web at www.qwestcenteromaha.com.  

I spoke with Kainoa LaCount a few minutes ago. He said he will remain on the mainland at College of the Canyons (Calif.) to complete work on his associate’s degree the next couple of months.

He said he has two classes remaining, and plans to arrive in Hawaii in time for the start of fall camp.

The 6-foot-7, 290-pound Kailua High graduate was recruited by Pac-10 schools and is considered a key member of UH’s 2008 class of incoming players. He is expected to contend for a starting spot at one of the tackles, but it was hoped he’d be back in the islands sooner.

Re UH Warriors’ question below: Kainoa said he doesn’t expect to be back in Hawaii until the end of July, near the start of camp. So I guess they either have one session that ends around that time, or he has to go to second session for some reason.

Ryan Keomaka will likely be joining former UH teammate Tim Chang with the Hamilton TigerCats of the CFL soon. The cornerback has been added to their negotiation list.

Player liaison Jon Nielsen said it’s all but a done deal.

“They weren’t real impressed with one of the guys they brought in, and Ryan was on the short list,” Nielsen said. “He’ll be on the team in a day or two.”

***

Got a look at some of the new players yesterday. Quarterbacks Brent Rausch and Greg Alexander and receivers Mike Tinoco and Craig Bell threw passes and ran routes. The QBs were both mostly shotgun guys, so they have the same challenge the UH veterans did in the spring … work on dropbacks and timing.

Rausch’s passes were stunningly and consistently accurate yesterday.

Inoke Funaki, Aaron Bain, Mike Washington, Jameel Dowling, Viliami Nauahi and Leon Wright-Jackson were all out there for the first day of involuntary pass-and-catch.

“We’ll have more out here on Friday,” Bain said.

You can watch: Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 3 p.m.

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Rausch sports major ink.

“This one’s (on his back is) my last name. This one, (on his chest) is a warrior. Got to be a warrior all the time when you’re a football player.”

“I’m going to get something tribal while I’m out here.”

Alexander was offered by Bowling Green and Alabama State. Hard to imagine he went under the radar with his huge physique and stats. He’s thrilled to be here.

“It’s Hawaii. The offense is a huge factor. Throwing the ball is always good.”

Tinoco got here over the weekend.

“It’s been great. Hung out and went to the beach on Monday (Memorial Day)
Yesterday (Tuesday) me and Brent threw a little bit.”

Tinoco is 6-2 and Bell is 6-1. Good height, and neither is what you’d call too thin.

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Re: you should take longer in between postings/entries!!

Assuming this is sarcasm, since I hadn’t posted in several days, I should note I was on vacation last week.

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Mr. Tennefos is Mary Shoji’s father, a longtime state legislator. He served in both the North Dakota House of Representatives and the State Senate for 23 years.

Jens Junior Tennefos, 78, Fargo, died May 14, 2008, at Innovis Hospital, Fargo. Services were held Tuesday, May 20, at Olivet Lutheran Church, Fargo.

A very nice man whom I’ll remember as gracious and kind.

The Guestbook is available to sign online

http://www.legacy.com/BismarckTribune/GB/GuestbookView.aspx?PersonId=109829974

Hawaii at Florida tickets are being sold now at StubHub.

They’re going as low as $87 each.

They’ve got kickoff set at 1 p.m. (Eastern). It will probably be a day game, but it’s not set in stone yet.

Amber Kaufman qualified for the U.S. Olympic trials in the high jump with her gold-medal performance at the WAC championships
According to the UH WAC championship release, her jump of 6-0.5 (1.84m) was the second-best in the country this season. She’ll first go to regionals, then NCAA championships, then the Olympic trials

Amber’s mom said Amber is working on her passport. All athletes going to the trials are required to have one. Her jump is a provisional “B” height, which puts her 13th or 14th nationally, including pros and other Oly hopefuls.

Pretty cool for what her mom calls an “abysmal” technique.

The ones we know of from UH (to local players): Billy Ray Stutzmann, Chad Lopati, Manti Te’o and Stan Hasiak. There are others we haven’t confirmed.

I spoke with Manti for the first time this evening. Very articulate. Charlie Weis of Notre Dame has stopped by to visit. Says UCLA’s Norm Chow was there today. Chow’s friend, UH linebackers coach Cal Lee, also saw him at first day of spring practice.

“My coach (Kale Ane) told me today he got a letter from UH offering me a scholarship,” Te’o said “So now I can say, ‘I have been offered by Hawaii.’”

Tom Lemming said Te’o is a preseason All-American and one of the top 20 prospects in the country.

Te’o says his plan at this point is to wait to make his announcement on where he will go on signing day.