Racine Raiders, league reach deal to air championship game

RACINE, Wis. – (WRJN) — The Racine Raiders’ championship game will be available on radio and online Saturday after the team and the Midwest United Football League resolved a dispute that initially appeared set to end the club’s longtime broadcast streak.

The Raiders will face the Illinois Cowboys at 6 p.m. Saturday at Ameche Field at Kenosha Tremper High School. Fans may attend the game, watch a free livestream on the Midwest United Football League’s Facebook page or listen on WRJM, 1290 AM and 107.3 FM. Pregame coverage is expected to begin about 15 minutes before kickoff.

Earlier this week, Raiders announcer Don Wadewitz said the league had denied the team permission to broadcast the title game. Wadewitz said the decision threatened a 70-year tradition of Raiders games being broadcast, dating to 1956.

He said the Raiders had sought permission for an audio-only broadcast and proposed other arrangements, including a paywalled feed, after the league rejected a livestream request. Wadewitz criticized the initial decision, saying it would have kept members of the Raiders’ volunteer media staff from participating in the championship game.

But Geoff Schick of the Raiders said Thursday morning that the parties worked through the logistical concerns and reached an agreement.

“We’ve figured out the logistics necessary to allow the league livestream to coincide with Racine Raiders’ media team doing the radio feeds,” Schick said on The Don Rosen Show.

The key concerns involved limited press box space at the high school field, expected weather and the need for coaches and multiple media crews to have access to the facility, Schick said.

Wadewitz will handle play-by-play for the broadcast, with Evan Witalison providing color commentary.

Schick credited the league, the Dubuque Miners media team and the Raiders’ media staff with finding a solution.