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Clarence T. C. Ching Athletics Complex

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Coordinates: 21°17′38″N 157°49′05″W / 21.294°N 157.818°W / 21.294; -157.818
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Clarence Ching Athletics Complex
View of the football stadium in 2021
Map
Full nameClarence T. C. Ching Athletics Complex
AddressHonolulu, HI
United States
LocationUniversity of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
, U.S.
Coordinates21°17′38″N 157°49′05″W / 21.294°N 157.818°W / 21.294; -157.818
OwnerUniversity of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
OperatorUniv. Hawaii Athletics
TypeSports complex
Capacity16,909 (2024–present)

Former capacity:

List
    • 4,100 (2015–2020)
    • 9,346 (2021–2022)
    • 15,194 (2023)
Current use
Opened2015; 9 years ago (2015)
Tenants
Website
hawaiiathletics.com/ching-complex

The Clarence T. C. Ching Athletics Complex in a sport complex located on the campus of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa in Honolulu, which 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]

It is the home venue to the university's football team since 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

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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

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The athletics complex served as the home field for the university's women's soccer team before they moved to soccer-specific stadium Waipiʻo Peninsula.[14] 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.[15] The field and its surrounding track function as the outdoor track and field facility for the university.[2][15]

College football

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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.[16] As a result, the team announced plans to play home games on campus at the athletics complex "for at least the next three years".[17] 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.[18]

Aloha Stadium's former scoreboard is now installed at the Ching Athletics Complex

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.[19] 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.[20]

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. The expansion will include a newly-expanded mauka (northern) sideline stand with additional hospitality areas, additions to both end zone stands, filled corners, and the relocation of the old Aloha Stadium HD video board to the end zone stand adjacent to Les Murakami Stadium.[21][22] As some of the new stands will be built over top of the current track, the expansion will necessitate the construction of a new facility for Hawai'i women's soccer and track, which will be built on the site of two practice fields near Murakami Stadium.

Year by year

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The complex's sandcourt as seen in 2021
Season Head Coach Conference Avg. Crowd Home Record
2021 Todd Graham Mountain West Conference 2,302 4–2
2022 Timmy Chang 9,210 3–4
2023 11,251 4–3
2024 13,200 3–2

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "UH Athletics Prepares to Play Football On-Campus in 2021". Retrieved January 11, 2020.
  2. ^ a b c "Clarence T. C. Ching Athletics Complex". hawaiiathletics.com. Retrieved December 1, 2019.
  3. ^ "The Clarence T.C. Ching Foundation". hawaiimagazine.com. December 28, 2018. Retrieved December 1, 2019.
  4. ^ "Wahine Experience". espnhonolulu.com. October 24, 2017. Retrieved December 1, 2019.
  5. ^ a b c "Clarence T. C. Ching Athletics Complex Dedicated". hawaiiathletics.com. May 15, 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. ^ 2024 women's soccer schedule on hawaiiathletics.com
  15. ^ a b "Clarence T. C. Ching Athletics Complex". milesplit.com. Retrieved December 1, 2019.
  16. ^ "New events halted at Aloha Stadium over virus, budget issues". The Washington Times. AP. December 18, 2020. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
  17. ^ Chinen, Kyle (January 11, 2021). "'Bows to play football home games on campus after Aloha Stadium fallout". hawaiinewsnow.com. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
  18. ^ "UH Athletics Prepares to Play Football On-Campus in 2021". hawaiiathletics.com (Press release). January 11, 2021. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
  19. ^ 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.
  20. ^ McInnis, Brian. "Matlin announces Ching Complex expansion to proceed, but will be delayed a year". Pacific Business Journals. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
  21. ^ Morales, Manolo (August 17, 2022). "Matlin to present expansion plan to UH Board of Regents". KHON2. Retrieved August 17, 2022.
  22. ^ "Board of Regents approves two-phase, $30 million expansion project". University of Hawaii System. August 18, 2022. Retrieved August 18, 2022.
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