‘Bows to play 2020 home games without fans at Aloha Stadium

HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - The University of Hawaii football team will play home games in an empty Aloha Stadium during the 2020 season, school officials announced Sunday.

The decision to play games without spectators was made in accordance with rules against social gatherings currently in place by the City and County of Honolulu, the school said.

After initially postponing the season because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Mountain West Conference announced last month that it would hold an eight game regular season. Hawaii’s first game, at Fresno State, is scheduled for Saturday, and the team’s first home game is set for Nov. 7 against New Mexico.

“The university supports the county and state measures implemented to prevent the spread of COVID-19,” said athletics director David Matlin in a statement. “These are unprecedented times and we must take these types of unprecedented steps to protect our community."

Two of the team’s games ― at Wyoming on October 31 and home for Boise State on November 21 ― will be broadcast on national television.

That leaves fans in Hawaii with only a single option to watch the remaining six games of the shortened 2020 season: pay either Spectrum Sports or Hawaiian Telcom the $70 per game that those cable providers charge viewers to watch the 'Bows on pay-per-view.

Fans outside of the state can watch the games for free using the Team1Sports app.

This story will be updated.