Pavelka Marks 50 Years With Plexiglass Notes
Nebraska voice of athletics Kent Pavelka is producing 1,000 plexiglass replicas of his handwritten notes from the Huskers' March Madness run.
Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in Basketball
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Kent Pavelka, the Nebraska play-by-play broadcaster, is producing 1,000 two-sided plexiglass replicas of his handwritten notes from Nebraska's first two NCAA tournament wins, over Troy and Vanderbilt. The replicas mark his 50 years as the voice of Husker athletics.
Why it matters
The project commemorates a long broadcasting tenure as Pavelka prepares to end it after the current basketball season. Nebraska fans get a tangible keepsake of a notable postseason run.
The run consists of 1,000 two-sided plexiglass replicas, each reproducing Pavelka's handwritten notes from Nebraska's wins over Troy and Vanderbilt. The figures reflect a 50-year broadcasting career covering the Husker program.
The players
Kent Pavelka
Pavelka is the Nebraska play-by-play broadcaster who has served as the voice of Husker athletics for 50 years and grew up in Lincoln.
Sam Hoiberg
Hoiberg is a former Nebraska guard referenced in the source in connection with the program's basketball history.
The details
Each replica reproduces Pavelka's handwritten notes from last season's March Madness run, when Nebraska opened the tournament with wins over Troy and Vanderbilt. Pavelka, who grew up in Lincoln, has also broadcast Nebraska football and basketball and called two national championship football wins on the radio.
Timeline
Last season: Nebraska's March Madness run, including wins over Troy and Vanderbilt, which the replicas commemorate.
After this basketball season: Pavelka's 50-year tenure as Nebraska voice of athletics ends.
Roadmap
The project caps a five-decade broadcasting career built around Nebraska athletics, from football to basketball. Its timing sits at the end of that run as Pavelka's final season approaches.
Fans interested in collecting Nebraska memorabilia can watch for the 1,000 replicas as they are released. The commemorative pieces tie directly to the Huskers' first two NCAA tournament wins.
The takeaway
Commemorative pieces like these preserve specific moments from a team's postseason history, and this project does so through the handwritten notes of the broadcaster who called those games.
What happens next
Pavelka's final year as Nebraska voice of athletics concludes after the current basketball season.
Further reading
Explore more on Nebraska Basketball for the program's tournament history and season coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Wowt.
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