A stalemate is emerging between the University of Hawai'i athletic department and student government that could result in some prime seat locations for football, basketball and volleyball being removed from students and being put up for sale to the general public and boosters.

At issue is the athletic department's thrust for a student fee to help reduce an accumulated $5.4 million deficit and an apparent reluctance by the Associated Students of the University of Hawai'i to support one.

Without a compromise, it is shaping up to be a battle that neither side will win and make both, to some extent, losers.

On one hand, UH benefits from student attendance at its events. The students help bring electricity and spirit to games, be it at Aloha Stadium or Stan Sheriff Center. In the longer term, students who are fans now are potentially UH's future season-ticket holders and donors.

Meanwhile, students receive greatly reduced or free admissions depending upon the popularity of the sport. In recent years, the "Manoa Maniacs" promotion has provided free bus transportation to Aloha Stadium, special ticket packages, sought-after seating locations and T-shirts.

Athletic director Jim Donovan told the school's Board of Regents the department annually makes about $2 million worth of tickets available at free or greatly reduced rates so students can attend.

But with a rising deficit, Donovan told the regents last week UH is the last remaining school in the nine-team Western Athletic Conference not to tap athletic fees that range from $24 to $99 per full-time student in exchange for free entrance to athletic events. Money sorely needed in these austere times.

Yesterday, six days after Donovan's appearance before the regents where he spelled out the need for student fee help, the ASUH announced a resolution not only taking back the support of the student senate in 2006, but opposing any fee imposition before student feedback. Moreover, the ASUH, which represents 14,037 undergraduates, said in the resolution it "feels that no money from this fee should be used towards salaries, administrative fees or capitol improvement projects."

If ASUH adheres to its resolution and athletics sticks to a timetable requesting a fee in time for this fall, the options are not encouraging. Athletics could ask the Manoa chancellor to back a request for the regents to impose a fee. Or, as Donovan has held out, athletics could put the best of the student seats up for sale to premium-paying customers and relocate students elsewhere.

While that might raise much-needed cash in the short term, it would make it tougher to bring out students now or in the future.

Call it a lose-lose proposition, one that invites the two parties to find a better settlement.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8044.