NC State broadcaster suspended for referring to 'illegal aliens' at Sun Bowl in El Paso
Cheerleaders for the North Carolina State Wolfpack wave flags following a touchdown against the Troy Trojans at Carter-Finley Stadium Sept. 5, 2015, in Raleigh, N.C. (Lance King/Getty Images)
N.C. State radio broadcast Gary Hahn has been suspended for mentioning "illegal aliens" during the Sun Bowl in El Paso Friday.
While calling the Duke's Mayo Bowl, where the Wolfpack were playing against the Maryland Terrapins, Hahn gave a score update on the Sun Bowl in west Texas, when he made the comment.
"One other bowl game involving an ACC team going on, that's the Sun Bowl, and amongst all the illegal aliens down in El Paso, it's UCLA 14 and Pittsburgh 6," Hahn said.
The Sun Bowl fan fest was canceled last week because El Paso is using its convention center to house around 1,000 immigrants. The city's mayor, Oscar Leeser, declared a state of emergency earlier this month, and the convention center was converted into a shelter due to abnormally cold temperatures.
Hahn is an employee of Learfield Communications, which suspended him for the comments. He has been the voice of N.C. State football and men's basketball since 1991.
A view of the North Carolina State Wolfpack logo during a game against the Georgia Southern Eagles at Carter-Finley Stadium Aug. 30, 2014, in Raleigh, N.C. (Lance King/Getty Images)
He was named the North Carolina Sportscaster of the Year in 2011 and 2020.
The Wolfpack lost the game, 16-12.