Whatever happens on the football field, the University of Hawai'i figures to leave its season opener with Alabama a big winner at the bank next week.

The financially strapped Warriors expect to clear an estimated $496,673 for their Sept. 2 appearance in Tuscaloosa, the biggest road payday in the school's history.

UH is a 17-point underdog for the game.

Under the terms of the contract, UH is to receive a $650,000 guarantee for the non-conference appearance, the first stop of its five-game, approximately 32,066 air-mile road itinerary.

UH officials estimate the total trip expenses at $153,327 for the 92-member (players, coaches, trainers, school officials etc.) traveling party. Air and surface travel is estimated at $78,623 for the team's trip to and from Atlanta, where it will work out for two days, before overnighting in Birmingham. Hotels, meals and other expenses are estimated at $74,704.

Although permitted to bring more players, UH will limit its roster to 60. 'Ahahui Koa Anuenue, the athletic department's umbrella booster organization, is also taking a group of donors, officials said.

The $650,000 guarantee is the largest in UH's history, topping the $350,000 it received for last year's appearance at Michigan State and the $600,000 it will be due for the 2008 opener at the University of Florida. Utah State received a reported $675,000 for its appearance in Tuscaloosa last season.

UH took in $926,385 in revenue from its 2003 game against Alabama at Aloha Stadium and $972,055 from its 2002 game,

This year's Alabama payday will cover more than 80 percent of the football team's traveling costs this year, no small consideration for an athletic department that has suffered four consecutive deficit years since 2002 and had an accumulated debt of $4.6 million, according to an independent auditor's report in January.

Athletic director Herman Frazier had pledged to balance the books for the 2006 fiscal year that concluded June 30, 2006, for which an audit is under way, and repay $1 million in loans to the Manoa chancellor's office this fiscal year.

UH officials say they estimate travel for the team's road games will cost $791,480 this year, up from $725,000 last year when UH also had five away games.

The rise is attributed to "fuel cost and increases in the cost of other things like food, ground transportation and hotel rooms," said Lois Manin, UH sports information director.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@honoluluadvertiser.com.