For the first time in its history, the University of Hawai'i football team could play two sets of back-to-back road games in a single season, according to some scenarios under Western Athletic Conference scheduling consideration for 2009.

The Warriors already have back-to-back non-conference road games booked Sept. 12 in Seattle against Washington State and Sept. 19 at Nevada-Las Vegas. With a break in between, they could also end up playing, for example, a set of back-to-back conference road games in October.

WAC associate commissioner Jeff Hurd said such a scenario "has been discussed, but only in terms of possible options depending upon how (ESPN) television falls out."

UH athletic director Jim Donovan said the possibility of two sets of back-to-back road games arises, in part, from UH's preference to avoid having one span of three consecutive road games. UH hasn't played three consecutive road games since 1964.

Donovan said UH has asked for either an open date or a home game for the Sept. 26 slot that follows road games with Washington State and UNLV. Otherwise, he said, UH could find itself playing a WAC road game at, for example, Louisiana Tech or Idaho that week.

"That's something we'd like to avoid," Donovan said. "We've done 10 (consecutive) days on the road, but going past that it is pushing it."

Part of the problem is that since UH is scheduled to play 13 games and the NCAA-approved football season spans only 14 weeks this year, compared with 15 in 2008, an open date on Sept. 26 forces UH to play 10 consecutive weeks. "At some point," Donovan said, "you're looking at consecutive (WAC) road games."

"I don't envy the problems the WAC has trying to make a schedule this season," Donovan said. "With fewer weekends, TV and everything else it is difficult to please everybody."

In an eight-game conference schedule, UH plays four home games and four away. This season UH is scheduled to play at Idaho, Louisiana Tech, Nevada and San Jose State, though the dates and order have yet to be announced by the WAC.

To remedy the situation, Donovan said he has requested that if UH is asked to play back-to-back conference road games that the Warriors be given opponents in close proximity such as San Jose State and Nevada.

Hurd said "it is simply too early in the process to speculate on what might happen for Hawai'i or any other school for that matter."

Part of the holdup to date, conference officials said, has been negotiations with ESPN over dates and matchups. The WAC schedule was announced in February last year but the 2009 version might not be announced until next month. "I highly doubt it will be before the end of (this) month," Hurd said.