University of Hawaii employees who received expense paid trips to the Sugar Bowl will have the chance to remove their names the invitee list, but it will come with a cost. 20 people were told Tuesday, the names of employees who received state-paid trips to New Orleans, will be forwarded to the public in two weeks. those who didn't want to appear on that list, could repay the U-H and have their names cleared.
One by one U-H officials entered a closed-door meeting to discuss the Sugar Bowl.
"We wanted everybody to be aware if the university paid for your expenses that there was a potential that your name would be released we offered them the opportunity do what they would like with that," said Associate Athletic Director Carl Clapp.
The "opportunity to do what they'd like" includes the chance to repay the U-H to avoid having their names appear on the soon-to-be-released list.
"We feel it is appropriate for our employees and for people to have information and we're comfortable what we've done here," said Clapp.
In March lawmakers questioned the university's bowl-game policy that was put into place by former athletic director Herman Frazier.
"What is the process on who gets to go to the Sugar Bowl that University of Hawaii picks up the tab for, whether it's airfare, lodging and all of that?" asked Representative James Tokioka.
"If you were going you had a working capacity," answered Clapp.
"From my understanding there were trainers and doctors who were left off that list," said Tokioka.
It cost U-H about two-million dollars to send 500 people to the Sugar Bowl, including 300 band members and just over 100 players. At least 20 employees, their spouses, and in some cases even their children were also invited.
"We took the model of another institution -- another WAC school -- Boise State that went to a major bowl game -- so we pretty much followed their model in terms of who went and how their expenses were paid for," said UH spokesman Gregg Takayama.
"I know we can't go back and change what happened but I think it is an embarrassing situation now for the athletic department at that time not to think about what the policy was or was going to be be," said Tokioka by phone from Kauai. "I feel sorry for the employees who in my mind were innocent in the whole process."
Another hurdle left-behind by the previous administration that new athletic director Jim Donovan must clear.
"A lot of cleaning house with all of these situations that has happened and I really feel sorry for Mr. Donovan," said Tokioka.
The full and updated list will be released in early June.