The University of Hawai'i's loss to Nevada has only slightly begun to put the Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl's picture into focus, officials said yesterday.

The 38-28 setback Saturday meant UH, at 3-6 with three games remaining, won't be able to achieve the seven wins it would have needed for bowl eligibility.

With four other Western Athletic Conference schools already bowl eligible or having the potential to get there and as many as six Conference USA schools still with bowl possibilities, the matchup for the Christmas Eve afternoon game at Aloha Stadium remains up in the air.

"It is still to early to say how this is going to work itself out," said Pete Derzis, vice president of ESPN Regional Television, which owns and operates the Hawai'i, Las Vegas and Fort Worth bowls.

In the WAC, Fresno State (7-1) and Boise State (7-2) have already assured themselves of bowl eligibility while Louisiana Tech (5-3) and Nevada (5-3) each need to win one of their remaining three games to be eligible.

The WAC has two guaranteed bowl berths — the Hawai'i Bowl and MPC Computers Bowl — and commissioner Karl Benson said he is pursuing opportunities for additional berths.

Thursday's Boise State-Fresno State game is expected to draw scouts representing at least six bowls, the WAC office said.

People in the bowl industry say Boise State will likely play in its backyard MPC Computer Bowl to satisfy corporate sponsors after being sent to the Liberty and Fort Worth bowls in recent years.

Fresno is something of a wild card and could end up in the debuting Poinsettia Bowl in San Diego, where the WAC is trying to get its foot in the door unless Navy qualifies for the at-large berth, or in the San Francisco Bowl.

In addition, should Fresno State win the WAC, the Liberty Bowl might be interested in matching a nationally ranked Bulldog team with the C-USA champion as it did last year. A similar situation, pairing Mountain West champion Texas Christian and Fresno State, could develop in the Las Vegas or Fort Worth bowls.

Meanwhile, C-USA has six teams, Texas-El Paso (7-1), Central Florida (6-3), Tulsa (5-4), Southern Mississippi (4-3), Memphis (4-4) and Marshall (4-4), still in the running for bowl eligibility.

Teams that play a 12-game schedule must win seven or more games. Those playing 11 must win six to be bowl eligible.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@honoluluadvertiser.com.