Clarence T. C. Ching Athletics Complex

The Clarence T. C. Ching Athletics Complex, located on the campus of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa in Honolulu, features a three-story building next to an all-purpose track and Clarence T. C. Ching Field.[2][3][4] The facility, built in 2015, includes locker rooms and a meeting room for Hawaii beach volleyball, cross country, women's soccer and track and field teams.[5][6]

Clarence T. C. Ching Athletics Complex
Manoa is located in Oahu
Manoa
Manoa
Location on the island of Oahu
Manoa is located in Hawaii
Manoa
Manoa
Location in Hawaii
LocationUniversity of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.
Coordinates21.294°N 157.818°W / 21.294; -157.818
OwnerUniversity of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
OperatorHawaii Rainbow Warriors and Rainbow Wahine
Capacity  4,100 (2015–2020)
  9,346 (2021–2022)
15,194 (2023)
16,909 (2024–future)
Opened2015 (2015)
Tenants
Hawaii Rainbow Warriors and Rainbow Wahine (NCAA)
Beach volleyball (2015–present)
Track and field (2015–present)
Women's soccer (2015–present)
Football (2021–present)[1]
Hawaiʻi Bowl (NCAA) (2022–present)

The university's football team also utilizes the facility for practices, and it became the team’s temporary stadium starting in 2021. The stadium has a seating capacity of 15,194, up from 9,346 in 2021 and 2022. It will further expand to 16,909 in 2024.[5]

History

The complex replaced the university's former sports facility, Cooke Field, following a $5 million donation from the foundation established by Hawaii real estate developer Clarence T. C. Ching (1912–1985).[7] This was a record donation for the university's athletics program.[8][9] This donation was intended to cover half the estimated $10 million cost of the development, due to open in 2013. However, project delays mean the complex ran 60% over budget and did not open until 2015. The remainder of the budget was covered by the university and the state of Hawaii.[10]

The delay led to threats from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) to decertify the institution's athletic department, given the lack of women's sports facilities. A key aspect of the new complex was to better serve women's athletics at Manoa, in particular the women's soccer team which previously played on a non-NCAA-compliant field.[11][12][13]

Uses

The athletics complex serves as the home field for the university's women's soccer team. It also has a 778-seat beach volleyball venue with two competition courts,[2] used by the university's beach volleyball team.[5] The venue also serves as a cross country course.[14] The field and its surrounding track function as the outdoor track and field facility for the university.[2][14]

College football

The complex normally serves as the practice facility for the university's football team. In December 2020, issues with Aloha Stadium (home venue of the football team since 1975) led to that venue halting the scheduling of new events.[15] As a result, the team announced plans to play home games on campus at the athletics complex "for at least the next three years".[16] Prior to the 2021 season, the university prepared the complex for home football games, including increasing seating capacity, replacing the existing turf, installing a new scoreboard and speaker system and upgrading the press box.[17]

The NCAA requires football programs to "average at least 15,000 in actual or paid attendance for all home football contests over a two-year rolling period" to remain at the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) level.[18] The initial expansion included 9,000 seats for the 2021 season, with plans to expand to 15,000 for the 2022 season, which will reach the FBS minimum. The expansion to 15,000 was delayed until 2023 due to effects stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced Hawaii football to play behind closed doors or with a limited capacity for the first half of their 2021 home schedule.[19]

Matlin formally announced a plan to expand to 17,000 for the 2023 season. It was presented to the University of Hawaii Board of Regents on August 17, 2022, and was unanimously approved a day later.[20][21]

See also

References
  1. "UH Athletics Prepares to Play Football On-Campus in 2021". Retrieved January 11, 2020.
  2. "Clarence T. C. Ching Athletics Complex". hawaiiathletics.com. Retrieved December 1, 2019.
  3. "The Clarence T.C. Ching Foundation". hawaiimagazine.com. 28 December 2018. Retrieved December 1, 2019.
  4. "Wahine Experience". espnhonolulu.com. 24 October 2017. Retrieved December 1, 2019.
  5. "Clarence T. C. Ching Athletics Complex Dedicated". hawaiiathletics.com. 15 May 2015. Retrieved December 1, 2019.
  6. "Clarence T. C. Ching Athletics Complex". Venues Unlimited. Retrieved December 1, 2019.
  7. "About Clarence T.C. Ching". clarencetcchingfoundation.org. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
  8. UH sports gift pays tribute to developer. Star Bulletin (2008-05-30). Retrieved 2019-12-10.
  9. Yap, Rodney S. (2012-07-19). Ching Foundation Enables UH to Upgrade Athletics Complex. Maui Now. Retrieved 2019-12-10.
  10. Briggs, Christine (2019-08-13). Clarence T.C. Ching Athletic Complex: A game changer. Play Clean. Retrieved 2019-12-10.
  11. UH athletics complex opens 2 years late; cost 60% more than first estimate. Hawaii News Now (2015-05-15). Retrieved 2019-12-10.
  12. Jay talks Clarence TC Ching Athletic Complex shortcomings. Hawaii News Now (2014-05-30). Retrieved 2019-12-10.
  13. McCraken, David (2014-12-15). Size does matter . Manoa Now. Retrieved 2019-12-10.
  14. "Clarence T. C. Ching Athletics Complex". milesplit.com. Retrieved December 1, 2019.
  15. "New events halted at Aloha Stadium over virus, budget issues". The Washington Times. AP. December 18, 2020. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
  16. Chinen, Kyle (January 11, 2021). "'Bows to play football home games on campus after Aloha Stadium fallout". hawaiinewsnow.com. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
  17. "UH Athletics Prepares to Play Football On-Campus in 2021". hawaiiathletics.com (Press release). January 11, 2021. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
  18. Bonagura, Kyle (December 17, 2020). "Hawai'i football in search of new home as Aloha Stadium closed to new events". ESPN.com. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
  19. McInnis, Brian. "Matlin announces Ching Complex expansion to proceed, but will be delayed a year". Pacific Business Journals. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
  20. Morales, Manolo (17 August 2022). "Matlin to present expansion plan to UH Board of Regents". KHON2. Retrieved 17 August 2022.
  21. "Board of Regents approves two-phase, $30 million expansion project". University of Hawaii System. 18 August 2022. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
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