Legendary Nebraska Broadcaster Kent Pavelka Announces Retirement

One of the most recognizable voices in college athletics is stepping down from the microphone.

Longtime Nebraska play-by-play announcer Kent Pavelka announced on the Huskers Radio Network that the upcoming 2026-27 season will be his final year calling Big Red games, the Daily Nebraskan reported. The decision marks the approaching end of a broadcasting tenure that spans more than five decades in Lincoln.

“It takes just about everything deep in my soul to share that,” Pavelka said on the radio show. “What I intend to do is enjoy this last go-around and savor it. As we make our way around the country, I’ll be smiling inside and celebrating inside all the memories.”

We look forward to properly saluting Kent later this season in honor of his lifetime of passion passed through the airwaves to generations of Husker faithful! GBR! https://t.co/dqFuR66md6

— https://x.com/TroyDannen/status/2114853131884617764

Five Decades Behind the Mic

Pavelka first broadcast a Husker game as a 25-year-old in 1974, calling a win over South Dakota State at the NU Coliseum. His early career included football color commentary from 1974 through 1983, followed by a transition to football play-by-play duties from 1984 to 1996.

Alongside his football coverage, Pavelka anchored Nebraska men’s basketball play-by-play starting in 1974 until stepping away in 1996. He returned to the basketball seat in 2006, ultimately calling more than 1,000 games over the course of his career. In recognition of his contributions to regional media, he was inducted into the Nebraska Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame in 2019.

One last ride. 🐐 pic.twitter.com/aznU0mgO2G

— https://x.com/HuskerMBB/status/2114849617783496909

Pavelka made his retirement announcement on the pregame show ahead of Nebraska’s exhibition game against Kansas State.

“The point is, I never wanted to do anything else — just this,” Pavelka said. “What we’re going to do now is focus on this game tonight and these Huskers and the story they create over the next four or five months.”

Legendary Nebraska Broadcaster Kent Pavelka Announces Retirement — Photo: 247sports.com

Tributes From the Athletic Department

As news of the retirement spread across the fanbase, athletic leadership offered immediate public recognition for the broadcaster’s long tenure.

“We look forward to properly saluting Kent later this season in honor of his lifetime of passion passed through the airwaves to generations of Husker faithful!”

— Nebraska Athletic Director Troy Dannen on X

Pavelka indicated that his immediate focus remains entirely on the court and the team’s ongoing season. He noted that he is dreaming of a deep postseason run that carries the program into the third week of March.