ENMU game to be broadcast in Navajo

Staff writer

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Today’s Lone Star Conference matchup between Angelo State and Eastern New Mexico University is scheduled to be the final ENMU regular-season football game at Blackwater Draw. The school is scheduled to move into an on-campus facility next season.

ENMU is celebrating this historic event in two ways.

First, Cuyler Frank, general manager of KXWR-FM 92.1 at Dine College in Tsaile, Arizona, will be broadcasting the ENMU game in the Navajo language for his radio station. This is perhaps the first time in NCAA Division II history that the Navajo language will be used to call a game.

John Houser, director of marketing and communication services at ENMU, is in charge of organizing the broadcast back to Dine College.

This has been in the works for a while. ENMU athletic director Jeff Geiser approved the plan back in August, but Houser’s relationship with Frank goes back much further.

“I’ve known Cuyler since 2006, when I was working at New Mexico State,” Houser said. “He’s a good friend of mine. He’s mentioned that he’s been interested in showing up and doing a broadcast and we were finally able to set it up.”

Unfortunately, residents of Roosevelt and Curry County won’t be able to listen to the entire broadcast as the network is intended for Arizona. The good news is that during halftime, KSEL broadcaster Doc Elder will be speaking with Frank and there’s a chance Elder will ask him to call a few plays in Navajo.

As for future games, Houser said that’s yet to be determined.

“We’ll see if this becomes an annual thing, but for now it’s just a one-time event,” Houser said.

“We’re trying to further our relationship with Dine College and the Navajo nation to help them realize we’re here and that we have a Native American affairs department that’s open to them,” Houser said. “Hopefully this will help us reach out to the western part of the state and get new students who are either transfers or incoming freshmen.”

In addition, today’s game is also “Cannon Appreciation Day,” and all active duty personnel, including family, will be given free admission to the game. The first 150 active duty personnel to show up will also receive a t-shirt to commemorate the day.