Dave Eanet

Veteran Chicago sportscaster Dave Eanet kicked off his 25th season as the voice of Northwestern University Wildcat Football with a surprise.

During halftime of Saturday’s home opener in Evanston, Eanet’s alma mater christened the Ryan Field radio booth in his honor. In addition to unveiling a plaque designating “The Dave Eanet Broadcast Booth,” they presented him a cake inscribed: “Congratulations on 25 years, Mr. Cat!”

“They got me good,” Eanet later said. “Totally caught off guard . . . but it was a terrific honor.”

Eanet, 59, has been the play-by-play voice of Wildcat Football since 1990 and Wildcat Basketball since 1996. Both teams air on Tribune Broadcasting news/talk WGN AM 720, where Eanet works as sports director and sports anchor on Steve Cochran’s morning show. He also appears as a sports anchor on Tribune Broadcasting WGN-Channel 9.

The Washington, D.C., native was still attending Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism when he first joined CBS Radio all-news WBBM AM 780 in 1975. After graduating, he signed on full-time with the station, where his two stints there were interrupted by a four-year run at WGN. With the shift of Wildcat Football broadcasts, Eanet returned to WGN in 1996.

In 2005, Eanet was inducted as an honorary member of the Northwestern University Athletic Hall of Fame.

P.S. On Saturday Northwestern lost to California 31-24.