Expanding audience for UTRGV sports

The UTRGV Department of Intercollegiate Athletics is set to broadcast two more Saturday baseball games in Spanish through Vallevisión Channel 8 (XHAB-TV).

The first broadcast took place March 4 against the University of Houston, where the Vaqueros defeated the Huskies 13-5. 

The next broadcast will be at 6:30 p.m. April 1 against Tarleton State University and the third will take place at the same time May 13 against Grand Canyon University.

The announcers set for the games are Hector Zapata, a former Telemundo Sports anchor in the Rio Grande Valley and Houston, and Luis Rubio, a former sports reporter for Vaquero Radio, who has experience broadcasting games with UTRGV Athletics, ESPN+ broadcasts and the Western Athletic International tournament.

Asked how this series of Spanish broadcasts came to be, Rubio replied the Athletics Department had the idea years ago and he was contacted to see if he was interested in doing Spanish broadcasting for UTRGV.

“It’s something that I’ve always wanted to do,” he said. “Broadcast the game in Spanish, because, you know, from my background, I mean, coming from a Spanish-speaking home.” 

Rubio said it was something he was prepared to do, especially since his family and extended family would be able to watch the games and understand what he is saying.

“So, I jumped on the opportunity and, plus, working with Jonah [Goldberg, senior associate athletic director for Communications & Championships], working with Danny [Elizondo, assistant athletic director  for Communications], working with everybody at UTRGV Athletics, it’s always a great time.”

He said the Rio Grande Valley is a diverse and culturally unique place.

“It’s great that the university is branching out, providing the accessibility to this population that is dominant in our area,” Rubio said.

He said besides a couple of technical errors in the beginning, the first broadcast went amazing. 

“The equipment UTRGV has is amazing,” Rubio said. “The staff, the production room, the camera guys, you know, all of them top notch.” 

He said the Spanish broadcast reaches a new audience and explained that there is a difference in the tone and feeling you get from watching sports broadcasts in English compared to Spanish. 

“Some people are gonna go with the Spanish broadcast because they prefer it being Spanish,” he said. “They prefer me and Hector. And that’s all and well, because even though it’s two broadcasts, it’s still for the same team.”

Rubio said the broadcast will  bring a new set of people to UTRGV sports because it will be on a local channel that is easily accessible.

Justin Vasquez, a theatre senior, said he believes it is important to have Spanish broadcasts available.

“I think it’s very important to keep stuff like that accessible,” Vasquez said. “I think it’s important that people who only speak Spanish have as [many] opportunities to enjoy things that, like, may be only be accessible to someone who speaks English.”

He said it makes sense for the school to broaden its horizon and have a sport like baseball be accessible to everyone.

“It just makes sense in a place, especially like the Valley, where, like, a majority of people here also speak Spanish,” Rubio said.

Michelle Guiza, a marketing freshman, said it would be nice for UTRGV to have more Spanish broadcasts available. 

“I have interacted with a lot of people who Spanish was their first language,” Guiza said. “And they come to UTRGV and it very much becomes a culture to which they become connected.”

She said everything seems to be in English when it comes to clubs and sports, saying the option should be available more often.

The games will be available through Vallevisión Channel 8 and through WAC International.