KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, the University of Tennessee Athletics will offer a Spanish-language audio broadcast of Tennessee's football game against UTSA.
The broadcast will be available on the Tennessee Athletics App and UTsports.com at 4 p.m.
Carlos Lopez will handle the play-by-play of the game and will be assisted in the broadcast booth by VFL and former All-SEC and NFL placekicker Fuad Reveiz.
Brian Rice with the Vol Network and Sports Animal 99.1 will help coordinate the broadcast.
"This unique opportunity to continue to grow our fan base is exciting," said Vice Chancellor/Director of Athletics Danny White. "We have explored various models to increase Spanish broadcasts across several of our sports in future years and felt this will be a great test run to start the process and expand our Vol Nation footprint."
Lopez grew up in Venezuela and moved to the United States at 11. He grew up playing soccer and used those skills when he started playing American football as a special teams player at Seymour High School. Lopez earned a football scholarship as a kicker at Carson Newman College, graduating early, finishing his playing career at Middle Tennessee State University, and receiving a master's degree. He played professionally in the Arena Football League for the Tampa Bay Storm before returning to Tennessee and earning a second master's degree in World Language at Tennessee in 2015.
"I have created something special to embrace the growing Hispanic Community in Tennessee where I get to go inside UT Athletics and interview the Spanish-speaking athletes," said Lopez. "Leaving a legacy for the young Hispanic children is very important to me and I am happy I get to represent not only UT Athletics but Hispanics in our community."
Reveiz was the Vols' starting placekicker from 1981-84 and earned All-SEC honors in 1982 and second-team honors in 1984. He led the team in scoring all four years of his career and still holds the school record for field goals attempted (95) and made (71) in a career. He also has the school record for the longest field goal in UT history, a 60-yarder versus Georgia Tech in 1982.
Reveiz, who was born in Bogota, Colombia, and moved to Miami in his youth, had an 11-year professional career kicking for the Miami Dolphins (1985-89), San Diego Chargers (1990) and the Minnesota Vikings (1990-95) in the NFL. He has been an NFL Spanish Radio contributor and is a longtime co-host of radio programs covering Tennessee Football on WIVK and the 99.1 The Sports Animal.
"We are excited about this special broadcast on Saturday as a new idea," said Vol Network Executive Director Glenn Thackston. "Carlos has impressed us with his love, energy and passion for the University of Tennessee and reaching out to the Hispanic community. He and VFL legend Fuad Reveiz should make a great team together in a historic first."
