The Hula Bowl will remain in Honolulu and won't relocate to the Mainland anytime soon, the director of the college football all-star game said yesterday.

After eight years on Maui, the Hula Bowl will return to Honolulu for its 60th anniversary on Jan. 21 at Aloha Stadium. The game will be televised on ESPN2.

The Hula Bowl — the longest running sports attraction in Hawai'i — has been dogged by dwindling attendance, dipping to about 12,000 in its final game at Maui's War Memorial Stadium on Jan. 22 this year. In its last game on O'ahu in 1997, the Hula Bowl drew 24,725. In comparison, the 1979 game drew a Hula Bowl-record crowd of 49,132.

At a press conference at Aloha Stadium yesterday, Hula Bowl officials said they were optimistic about the game's future in Hawai'i.

"We're not going anywhere," said Hula Bowl director Rick Beggs, who also represents one of the game's sponsors, Cornerstone Bancard, a credit card processing business headquartered in Georgia. "If the attendance isn't what we thought it was going to be, we'll reevaluate what we did, and we'll make a run at it in 2007. Moving is out of the question to us. We didn't get involved to move it. The Hula Bowl makes no sense in Des Moines."

Seating at Aloha Stadium will be limited to 25,000 in the lower blue and orange levels because of various factors, including the past attendance of the game, Beggs said.

"We're staying at the lower level, and we're going to make sure that we can do everything we can to fill that up between now and January," said Beggs, who added expansion to other levels is possible if needed.

Several players have committed to the Hula Bowl, including University of Hawai'i offensive lineman Brandon Eaton, Toledo quarterback Bruce Gradkowski and Texas Tech quarterback Cody Hodges. UH defensive back Lono Manners and linebacker Tanuvasa Moe are also expected to commit, bowl officials said.

The Hula Bowl has also resolved a dispute over the ownership of the game's name, Beggs said. In the agreement, the game's former owner, Marcia Klompus, said she leased the game's name "Hula Bowl" to the current owners in exchange for a payment "in the neighborhood of $3,000 to $5,000" that will be donated to a local youth sports organization.

"The lawyers agreed in principle," said Klompus, who added that she wanted the name "Hula Bowl" to remain in Hawai'i for "historic and cultural reasons."

Mayor Mufi Hannemann, who attended the press conference yesterday, said he's willing to do "anything and everything" to keep the game in Hawai'i.

"It's not enough for us to say we want the game here," Hannemann said. "We have to support it, the fans have to turn out, and the government and the public and private sector have to pull out that welcome mat."

Numerous pregame events to enhance the Hula Bowl experience of players and spectators are scheduled, Beggs said.

More NFL scouts and an NFL-type combine workout will be held for the players, who will also dine on the U.S.S. Missouri and meet surviving members of Pearl Harbor, he said.

The Hula Bowl is also strongly considering inviting one or more players from Japan to compete, Beggs said.

As for entertainment, actor Stephen Baldwin will host a free event called the Livin' it Extreme BMX, Skateboard & Motorcross experience, Beggs said.

In addition, autograph sessions with the players, a Heisman golf tournament at Ko Olina, and a halftime entertainment show with more than 300 National Spirit Group cheerleaders are scheduled.

Reach Brandon Masuoka at bmasuoka@honoluluadvertiser.com.