The University of Notre Dame is believed to be strongly considering an appearance in the Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl against the University of Hawai'i football team on Dec. 24.

"It's a definite possibility," David Matlin, executive director of the Hawai'i Bowl, said yesterday. "It's something we're working very hard at. We've had conversations."

With Arizona State's 31-10 loss to Arizona last night, the Pac-10 was not able to fulfill its contractual obligation to provide a representative to play in the game.

That left the Hawai'i Bowl one of five bowls with at least one opening, according to people in the bowl industry.

UH will represent the WAC in the Hawai'i Bowl.

Notre Dame, which finished 6-6, will have its choice of the Hawai'i, Papa John's Independence, Texas and Motor City bowls under NCAA guidelines.

A decision could come tomorrow.

"They're somebody we'd very much like to have, but there are other bowls also vying for them." Matlin said.

Notre Dame has not said what criteria it will use in making its choice. But the Irish are heavily recruiting Punahou School linebacker Manti Te'o and a week's worth of visibility here sure wouldn't hurt.

Other at-large possibilities for the Hawai'i Bowl include Western Michigan (9-3), San Jose State (6-6), Louisiana Tech (7-5), North Carolina State (6-6), Arkansas State (6-6), Florida Atlantic (6-6) and Louisiana Lafayette (6-6).

Louisiana Tech is reportedly headed to the Independence Bowl and Western Michigan is unlikely to play in the Motor City Bowl against another team from the same conference, the Mid-American.

All the bowls except the Texas Bowl are shown by ESPN.

UH has played the Irish twice, losing 48-42 in 1991 and 23-22 in 1993. Both games were played at Aloha Stadium. The Irish canceled another scheduled game here in the late 1990s.