ELLENSBURG (July 21) -- The Central Washington University Department of Athletics today announced an agreement with SWX-TV to televise three home football games in 2010. The first game, against the University of Minnesota Duluth, will air at 1 p.m. on Aug. 28.

“This is an exciting time for CWU athletics, especially Wildcat football,” explained CWU director of athletics Jack Bishop. “Now Wildcat families and fans will be able to see our student-athletes play anywhere in eastern Washington and northern Idaho. It will truly strengthen our program's regional and national reputation.”

“We're very excited to add Central Washington University athletics to SWX,” said SWX general manager Bill Storms. “Central has a great tradition in sports, and it will be great to bring sports from Central to all of eastern Washington and northern Idaho.”

The program's tradition of success includes 32 all-time conference football championships and three consecutive appearances in the NCAA Division II Football Championship playoffs. The Wildcats perennially rank as one of the top NCAA Division II football programs in the nation. They finished the 2009 regular season ranked number one nationally and the only undefeated team in Division II football. Earlier this summer, Sporting News ranked the Wildcats seventh in its 2010 pre-season national ranking.

Three of Central Washington's six home games this season will be available on SWX in a market that spans from the Cascade Mountains to northern Idaho, and from the U.S.-Canada border to as far south as Umatilla and Wallowa counties in northeast Oregon. Included on that live SWX television broadcast schedule will be the first two home games -- Aug. 28 versus Minnesota Duluth and Sept. 18 versus Dixie State -- as well as the Nov. 6 contest against Simon Fraser. The games against UMD and Dixie State will start at 1 p.m., while the Nov. 6 tilt is set for a noon kickoff.

“It will be great to have a significant presence in eastern Washington and northern Idaho, as we have a strong following in that area,” said CWU head coach Blaine Bennett. “The exposure on SWX will also allow for a greater base of people within our region to see the quality of football that is played at the Division II level.”

The Central Washington University football team prides itself in recruiting student-athletes from the State of Washington. All but one member of the Wildcats' signing class of high school seniors this past February hailed from Washington high schools, including a large base from the Puget Sound area. Nearly 85 percent of Central's 2009 roster attended high school in the Evergreen State.

SWX: “Sports and Weather Right Now” is operated by KHQ-TV in Spokane, and also televises athletics events for Gonzaga University, the Spokane Shock, the Spokane Chiefs, Eastern Washington University, the University of Idaho, Whitworth University, the Greater Spokane League, the Inland Empire League, Community Colleges of Spokane, Extreme Motorsports Motocross, and other regional sports leagues.

SWX is broadcast over the air in Yakima on channel 23-3 and in the Tri-Cities on channel 25-3. In Spokane and Northern Idaho, it can be viewed on channel 6-2. On cable, the station is available in Eastern Washington on Comcast channel 115, Time Warner Cable channel 306, Charter Cable channel 287, Cable One channel 466, and Northland Cable (Sandpoint, Idaho, channel 115; Moses Lake, channel 317).