With Incarnate Word moving into the highly-respected Lone Star Conference Cardinals football has now joined forces with a stalwart of San Antonio radio.
UIW football this fall will be heard over KKYX Radio, 680 on the AM dial. Additionally, the Mike Santiago Coaches Show will be aired by KKYX on Mondays from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Covering some 99,000 square miles of Texas with its classic country music, KKYX long ago established a reputation of being sports-friendly. “In our second year of football at UIW,” Director of Athletics Mark Papich said, “we wanted to be identified with a station that is strong in sports. KKYX is exactly that with its several years of broadcasting San Antonio Missions baseball among many other athletic events.”
The Cardinals in 2010 will play 11 football games and all 11 will air over KKYX. The opening game is August 28 when Langston State of Oklahoma comes to Gayle and Tom Benson Stadium. After that one non-conference contest, UIW will play 10 straight games against Lone Star opponents.
“We’re very excited to welcome UIW Cardinal football to KKYX for the 2010 season, “ KKYX Program Director Doug Bennett said. “It’s a great fit! KKYX is the San Antonio flagship station of Texas League baseball and the Missions. Now, we’re thrilled to be a part of the Lone Star Conference and Cardinal athletics.”
“The range of KKYX coverage expands our reach over the state,” Papich said. “It even gets us into some of our opponents’ areas. This arrangement came after much discussion and it is a multi-year deal.”
For the second year the voice of Cardinals football will be veteran sports broadcaster Paul Alexander. An Emmy Award winner, Alexander brings a wealth of experience to UIW with his work in such leagues as the NFL, Big 10, PAC-10 and Canadian. He will give the play-by-play descriptions of UIW games and he will host the weekly coach’s show.
In 2009, its inaugural season, Incarnate Word posted a 5-5 record playing as an NCAA Division II independent. Now the Cardinals will compete in the Lone Star which a year ago sent four teams to the NCAA playoffs. Some 100 players are expected to be on hand August 7 when the Cardinals report for pre-season drills at Benson Stadium on campus.