The state Ethics Commission said it has received a list of University of Hawai'i officials and others who traveled to the Sugar Bowl for what it said will be a wide-ranging review of the school's travel policy.

At issue is whether state employees, guests and others who received tickets, hotel rooms or flights served a legitimate purpose by being in New Orleans for the Jan. 1 game and if state ethics laws were violated.

Ethics Commission director Dan Mollway declined to discuss specifics of the review because it is ongoing, but, "In general, I think it is basically fair to say we will not only be (looking) at children. Everybody who went is a matter for potential review."

The question of children traveling on state business has been a hot topic but one Mollway said is something that had not come up previously in his tenure with the commission. "And, I've been with the ethics commission now close to 27 years."

UH said last week more than 580 people took part in the travel party for the Bowl Championship Series game in which the Warriors lost to Georgia, 41-10. UH said it paid nearly $2 million for the group, which included football players, band members, officials, family members and companions.

In December, after UH was picked for the Sugar Bowl and a travel policy was formulated, the Ethics Commission notified UH, questions were raised, "... about whether members of the Board of Regents or other officials of the university, who may justifiably receive a Sugar Bowl ticket, may also receive tickets for a spouse, a guest or children as well as payment of travel expenses for these individuals."

In addition, the commission told UH at the time, "... there is a concern of preferential access to Sugar Bowl tickets, and that travel costs may be paid for certain spouses, significant others and children."

Soon after, Mollway said, a meeting was held with UH officials to address the concerns. He said the commission was assured the group would be made up of people necessary for the school to fulfill its commitments. The review, he said, would look at how the travel parties were assembled in light of those discussions.

Mollway said there was no timetable for the review. "It is really hard to say (how long it could take)," Mollway said. "It could take a month, at least a month. Maybe a few months."

Violations of ethics laws could result in fines of up to $500 for each offense.