Former CNN anchor Rick Sanchez to announce FIU football games

Former CNN host Rick Sanchez will return to his South Florida roots this fall, serving as the color commentator for Florida International University's football games.

Sanchez will work alongside Tony Calatayud, who will handle play-by-play duties. FIU Football radio broadcasts on WMCU-1080 AM.

Sanchez said he won't get paid.

"I’m extremely excited to be volunteering my time to Florida International," he said in a statement. "I just wanted to give something back to the school because FIU has a very special place in my heart: two of my sons now attend FIU and I believe in FIU football."

Sanchez said it was an easy decision, since he already attends most games.

"I think this will be a lot of fun, and it will give me a chance to visit my sons and my parents more often," he asid.

Sanchez, 53, was a longtime anchor with WSVN Channel 7 inMiami. He left that job in 2001 to work as a news anchor forMSNBC. In 2002, he also started hosting a Spanish-language radio talk show, Buenas Tardes America.

His work atMSNBC failed to generate much buzz or ratings, and he returned to Miami in 2003 to host a talk show for WTVJ-Ch. 6.

He left again for CNN in 2004, where he stayed more six years. He started hosting his own show on the network, "Rick's List" in early 2010. The show combined news, opinion and audience comments through social media sites, such as Facebook and Twitter..

Over the years, he has generated controversy for some of his comments and actions. He was fired from CNN in October 2010 following comments that some perceived to be anti-Semitic.