A month before the Sept. 2 Alabama-Hawai'i football game nobody is certain what time the kickoff will be.

At stake is which game will be played midday in temperatures that could range from the mid- to high 80s.

As of yesterday, the Southeastern Conference office, which coordinates TV slots for its members and media partners, said a decision will be a while longer.

"We hope to finalize our early-season TV (package) by the end of this week," said Mark Womack, SEC executive associate commissioner.

When the decision comes, it could mean either a 6 p.m. Central (1 p.m. Hawai'i time) or 11:30 a.m. Central (6:30 a.m. Hawai'i time) kickoff for the Alabama-UH game.

At issue, according to people familiar with the situation but unwilling to be identified because of on-going negotiations, is which game fills the evening slot — Alabama-UH or Florida-Southern Mississippi — with the conference's cable partner, Lincoln Financial Sports.

Alabama and Florida are said to have expressed concerns about mid-day heat. The average September high is 86.7 in Tuscaloosa, Ala., and 89.1 in Gainesville, Fla.

The initial plan apparently was for Florida to play the early game. But the Gators were said to have "balked" and asked for the evening slot, which Alabama also prizes to unveil the $54 million in renovations and upgrades to Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@honoluluadvertiser.com.