The Nebraska basketball team had their first conference game of the season as they hosted Illinois on Sunday. It was far from the first game though for the longtime voice of Husker basketball, Kent Pavelka. The veteran broadcaster was honored during halftime of the game Sunday afternoon for his 1,000th broadcast.
After a video presentation featuring a message from Husker head coach Tim Miles and a video montage featuring highlights of past games synced up with Pavelka’s calls, the play by play man walked out onto center court to SKRILLEX’s “Bangarang,” a dub step style song. The name of the song has become one of Pavelka’s signature catchphrases in his broadcasting repertoire.
“1,000 broadcasts (are) a lot for a 45 year old man,” Pavelka joked, to open up his halftime speech. In the midst of his 34th season, Pavelka has been calling Husker basketball games since 1974 and called football games beginning in 1983. However in 1996, Pavelka was removed from both broadcasts all together, as the Husker Sports Network was formed, consolidating the rights to cover Nebraska athletics.
“I like to say I was exiled for 10 years,” Pavelka said. Nebraska’s current Executive Associate Athletic Director was the man to bring Pavelka back into the fold. “About 14 years ago, Marc (Boehm) called me and said ‘would you like to do basketball?’” Pavelka accepted, and has been calling the games ever since.
“I knew when I was probably 10 or 12 years old that I wanted to do this,” Pavelka said. “But I had to do a couple of things before that could happen… I had to arrange a meeting with James Naismith, so he could invent the game of basketball,” Pavelka said to laughter from the packed crowd in Pinnacle Bank Arena. “I’m just here to tell you it was an honor and a thrill, (to call) that first one 44 years ago as it is today.”
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