ABC-7’s Erik Elken, Nate Ryan to be UTEP play-by-play voices on ESPN3, ESPN+
EL PASO, Texas – KVIA ABC-7's Erik Elken is the new play-by-play man for the UTEP football and men’s basketball streams on ESPN3 and ESPN+, while ABC-7’s Nate Ryan will handle the call for the Miner women’s basketball streams on ESPN+.
Elken is the main co-anchor at ABC-7 for the station's flagship weeknight newscasts. Erik brings a wealth of play-by-play experience to the booth.
Prior to his career in news, Erik served as the play-by-play voice of the Tri-City ValleyCats (Single A, Houston Astros) for one season. He's also called college baseball, football, basketball and lacrosse -- as well as high school football and basketball. Erik started his television career in Eugene, Oregon, where he covered the Oregon Ducks and Oregon State Beavers before moving to Dayton, Ohio. Among Erik's favorite assignments there was covering the 2015 National Championship game between Ohio State and Oregon at AT&T Stadium.
“I'm so excited to get back in the broadcast booth,” Elken said. “Sports have been a part of my life since I can remember. It's always been my passion. There are few better feelings than calling the unscripted drama of a live game. I'm grateful for the opportunity to join the UTEP Miners team. As a graduate of Syracuse University, I’m thrilled to put the color orange back on!”
Elken will team with former Miners Trevor Vittatoe and Leonard Owens on the football and men’s basketball streams, respectively.
Ryan currently serves as a Sports Anchor/Reporter for KVIA ABC-7 covering all things Borderland Sports, including the UTEP Miners. A Chicago native, Ryan got his start in play-by-play broadcasting. While in college, he served as the primary play-by-play voice for the Division III DePauw Tigers in Greencastle, Indiana, including multiple NCAA Tournament runs.
“It’s tough to do justice to the magic that happens inside the Don Haskins Center, one of college basketball’s extraordinary shrines. But the chance to help paint the picture of historic UTEP Miner Basketball is one that I’m extremely grateful for,” Ryan said. “Play-by-play is a passion of mine, and I can’t wait to get back to my sportscasting roots.”
Ryan will join former UTEP standout Izabela (Piekarska) McCage on the women’s basketball streams.
The 2020-21 UTEP football and basketball streaming schedule is to be announced.
The “Official Home of the UTEP Miners,” KVIA ABC-7 airs six hours of locally produced news each weekday, and has the top-rated local newscast in every time slot. The station was just announced as the winner of a Regional Edward R. Murrow Award for the excellence of its continuing coverage of the August 3, 2019 mass shooting at the Cielo Vista Wal-Mart.
