MOSCOW, Idaho — A new project that has been in the works for over a year is bringing more people from different cultural backgrounds who love football together.
We all understand the excitement around watching American football; the lights, the food and the camaraderie. But what about those who only speak Spanish and want to enjoy these things too? Well, the University of Idaho is doing something pretty extraordinary to make sure everyone can enjoy the game.
What started as an idea from the alumni office has evolved into something that sets U of I apart from other colleges in the Inland Northwest.
Assistant Athletic Director for Brand Engagement and Digital Strategy Jerek Wolcott has been working alongside the university to bring Spanish broadcasts to the Kibbie Dome.
"You know, with this population being one of the fastest-growing in Idaho, we want to appeal to those students," Wolcott said. "We want them and their families to have a comfort level with the university and have more knowledge about what we are trying to do here."
The university is bringing in reinforcements like Steve Guasch, who is a play-by-play announcer for the Seattle Mariners, and Ricardo Chavez, who is a former Vandal himself and an All-American kicker and punter, to be the voices of this new broadcast.
The broadcast is meant to help families like Puerto Rican freshman safety and Spokane native Diezel Wilkinson's family to be able to tune in and watch him play.
"When I first heard they were doing a Spanish broadcast, I got really excited," Wilkinson said. "I called my mom right away because my abuela and abuelo don't speak English at all. Both of my grandparents grew up in Puerto Rico, so Spanish was definitely their first language."
These broadcasts will also have a 15-minute pregame show and a 15-minute halftime show, interviewing Spanish-speaking student-athletes, faculty and staff and talking about programs from Hispanic students on campus. A post-game show will recap it all.
In the future, Wolcott hopes to broadcast all of the home games. If you want to catch one of the Spanish broadcasts this year, they will be having two more on La Poderosa 100.7 FM this month: October 19 and October 26.