NC State radio announcer indefinitely suspended after 'illegal aliens' remark during Mayo Bowl broadcast

NC State radio announcer Gary Hahn was suspended indefinitely right after the Wolfpack’s Duke’s Mayo Bowl loss on Friday for a remark he made about migrants in El Paso.

The Sun Bowl in El Paso kicked off during the Mayo Bowl. As Hahn was referencing the game, he mentioned the “illegal aliens” in the Texas city.

“Learfield has suspended Wolfpack Sports Network play-by-play announcer Gary Hahn from his agreement indefinitely following comments made during today’s Duke’s Mayo Bowl radio broadcast,” a statement from Wolfpack Sports Properties said.

Hahn has worked as the football and men’s basketball announcer for NC State since 1991.

El Paso has declared a state of emergency because of the humanitarian crisis it is facing. Thousands of migrants have crossed the Mexican border into the city as city workers and volunteers have scrambled to find shelter and food for those who need it. The state of emergency was declared by mayor Oscar Leeser a week before Christmas to allow the city to use more resources to handle the surge of migrants.

The city’s convention center has been turned into a shelter for migrants and over 400 were housed over Christmas there amid the Supreme Court’s decision to keep Title 42 in place as legal challenges to it continue. The policy implemented during the Trump administration gives the United States the ability to more quickly deport migrants from the country and was implemented during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Leeser has said that as many as 2,500 migrants are arriving in the city per day and the city has received millions in federal dollars to help with the issue.

NC State lost the Duke's Mayo Bowl 16-12 to Maryland to finish the season at 8-5. Hahn's next scheduled event is the Wolfpack's men's basketball game against Duke on Jan. 4 unless his suspension continues through that date.