OMAHA, Neb. – University of Nebraska Omaha Mavericks and its athletics multimedia rightsholder, Learfield IMG College, have announced an extended relationship with NRG Media.
As part of the Omaha Sports Network, NRG Media and KZOT 1180 The Zone 2 is dedicated to carrying all hockey and basketball games as well as the UNO Maverick Minute shows (to be heard on 1620 AM, 1180 AM and 1290 AM) during the hockey and basketball seasons. Details on the station’s respective sports coverage are as follows:
All hockey and men’s and women’s basketball games will air on 1180 The Zone 2 (KZOT 1180 AM) and stream on www.1620thezone.com. In the event of a hockey conflict, any and all basketball games will be heard on 1620 The Zone (KOZN 1620 AM) or News Talk 1290 KOIL and streamed on www.newstalk1290koil.com.
“We are extremely excited to continue our partnership with UNO. As the sports leader in Omaha, it is important that we associate our stations with great sports programs like UNO. We look forward to broadcasting UNO sports on our stations this upcoming year, and many years to come,” said Mark Shecterle, General Manager of NRG Radio Omaha.
According to UNO Vice Chancellor of Athletics Trev Alberts, “NRG Media has provided our hockey and basketball teams with a reliable radio home for many years now, and we are pleased to continue this mutually beneficial relationship. NRG Media is a recognized leader in sports broadcasting in Omaha, and its stations allow our fans to follow the Mavericks, both over the air and through live streaming, when they can’t be at a game.”
1620 The Zone is the top-ranked sports/talk station in the Omaha-Council Bluffs metro. The Zone features award-winning talent such as Gary Sharp and Damon Benning who co-host Sharp and Benning in the Mornings airing weekdays from 9-11 a.m., Game Time airing weekdays from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and John Bishop and Josh Peterson who co-host the long-running sports/talk show Unsportsmanlike Conduct airing weekdays from 2-6 p.m. All programming can be heard online at www.1620thezone.com and on the 1620 The Zone smartphone apps.
“We’re proud to continue our partnership with UNO Athletics. This is an exciting time to be involved with the Mavericks, and we are looking forward to delivering quality programming for the fans,” explains Gary Sharp, co-host of Sharp and Benning in the Morning on 1620 The Zone and play-by-play announcer for UNO men’s basketball.
New this season, Donny Baarns will assume the duties of lead play-by-play announcer for UNO hockey broadcasts, taking over for Dave Ahlers who spent 10 years in the role. Ahlers will be focusing on digital broadcast initiatives in his role as Associate Athletic Director for Communications.
Baarns will work alongside Terry Leahy who has provided color commentary for all 22 seasons of UNO hockey. Lester St. James will return for his 10th season as the rinkside reporter for all home games.
Sharp is back for his seventh season calling UNO men’s basketball. He will work with former Maverick Kyler Erickson who will begin his first season as analyst for all home games. Jon Schriner steps into the role vacated by Baarns as the play-by-play voice of Omaha women’s basketball.
NRG Media is dedicated to providing great local radio and is committed to being an active and integral part of the communities in which it serves. In Omaha, NRG Media owns 1620AM The ZONE, 1180 ZONE 2, Sweet 98.5, Power 106.9, 101.9 The KEG, NewsTalk 1290 KOIL-AM and La Nueva 1020/99.5. NRG Media consists of 45 radio stations throughout four states in the Midwest – Iowa, Nebraska, Wisconsin and Illinois.
Omaha Sports Properties is the locally based team for Learfield IMG College that works alongside UNO Athletics. Learfield IMG College unlocks the value of college sports for brands and fans through an omnichannel platform. Its suite of services includes licensing and multimedia sponsorship management; publishing, broadcasting, digital and social media; ticket sales and professional concessions expertise; branding; campus-wide business and sponsorship development; and venue technology systems. Headquartered in Plano, Texas, the company has long had the privilege of being an advocate for intercollegiate athletics and the student-athlete experience. Since 2008, it has served as title sponsor for the acclaimed Learfield IMG College Directors’ Cup, supporting athletic departments across all divisions.