Lincoln’s Kevin Kugler reached the peak of sports broadcasting, will be etched into Nebraska Broadcasters’ history
Aug. 11, 2026, 5 a.m. ·
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Kevin Kugler grew up in Lincoln, announced Husker and high school sports at Nebraska Public Media, and has climbed to the national stage of sports broadcasting. On Tuesday, he will enter the Nebraska Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame. Nebraska Public Media’s Aaron Bonderson spoke with the sports broadcaster about the honor.
Aaron Bonderson: What was your reaction to hearing that you’re getting inducted into the Nebraska Broadcasters Hall of Fame?
Kevin Kugler: Well, I was very surprised, first off. I didn't expect anything like that to be happening at any point in my career, let alone now, but I was very honored. It's a tremendous honor to go in with terrific people this time around, and really to be in the pantheon of so many greats in a state that I've grown up in and have made my home since I was very young. It's a real honor to be in the Nebraska Broadcasters Hall of Fame, and I'm thrilled for the induction.
Bonderson: As your career has grown, do you ever feel like in the broadcasting space that you're sort of representing Nebraska in a way?
Kugler: I would say so. Every time I go out in the country to do a game, whether it's an NFL game or Major League Baseball game or college basketball game, I bring Nebraska with me. I live in Nebraska still, and my family is from Nebraska. I feel like everywhere I go, I'd like to do a good job, not only for myself and for my family, my reputation, but for the state of Nebraska. It's important to Nebraska that Nebraskans are represented well on the national stage. And it's important to me to be one of the people that represents this great state.
Bonderson: What are some of your favorite memories that you can remember along your career journey leading up to now being with Fox Sports and Westwood One for NFL and college basketball?
Kugler: There have been a lot of wonderful milestones along the way. Whether it's getting the chance to actually call games on a national level, which is something I never thought I'd be able to do, getting [to] cover five different Olympic games for Westwood One over the course of my career, spending a month in Beijing and a month in Sochi, Russia, and a month in Rio — memories I'll never forget. Those were great moments. The chance to call NFL games across the globe, whether it be in Mexico or in London. I've been very fortunate to have a lot of awesome experiences in my career, whether it be stateside or internationally. And luckily, I've still got some runway left on my career, some memories still to be made. But it's been a wild ride for a kid who grew up in Lincoln, Nebraska, just wondering if this was a career move he could even make and sustain. I’ve been very fortunate.
Bonderson: So you talked about it a little bit there, but the NFL for a lot of people in sports broadcasting, is the pinnacle. What’s it been like to call games for Fox, on that national level, for one of the biggest sports leagues in the world?
Kugler: It's sometimes a bit overwhelming. There's so much attention on that league and on that sport. But it's a thrill. I've been very fortunate, first on radio and now on television, to have a chance to cover this league. And there's really nothing quite like it. It's crazy to think that something I watched every Sunday growing up — I now get to be a part of someone else's Sunday experience watching these games. It's surreal.
Bonderson: Who inspired you along this journey to get to where you are now?
Kugler: You look at people in this state, Kent Pavelka is the broadcaster I grew up listening to, calling Nebraska football and calling Nebraska basketball. [I’m] fortunate to have gotten to know Kent now as a professional over the years. And getting the chance to listen to national voices like Vin Scully call baseball. Harry Caray, as a Cub fan growing up — listening to him have fun and learn how to entertain when you're in the booth. There's just so many different influences that you can point to that you say, ‘Well, I stole a little bit from them and a little bit from them, and I borrow this from from that broadcaster or that broadcaster,’ to try to find your own voice, but incorporate some of the things that you liked from others along the way.
Bonderson: Was there a point in your career, or when did you realize that a chance at the Nebraska Broadcasters Hall of Fame was possible, or just even getting to that national level?
Kugler: When I first started doing games, my hope was to be a team guy for somebody. Maybe a college announcer somewhere — just the chance to have the stability of that job. And then I found out very quickly that I enjoyed doing different games and learning about different teams every single week. When I first started doing play-by-play for Westwood One, that was really the first thought that I had was, ‘Wow, I might be able to do this on a national level.’ I was doing Division II athletics at the time for the University of Nebraska [at] Omaha and got to take a big jump up to that level.
Bonderson: You mentioned the point at which this honor has come in your career. So what's kind of next for you? What’s kind of the hope going forward in your career?
Kugler: I mean, certainly for me, I just love to continue to get better at my craft. I think every one of us who does this, regardless of whether you're a newscaster, a sportscaster, any sort of a broadcaster, any career really, I think one of the things that you always strive for is to improve. How can I improve on the last broadcast that I did? That's my goal right now: How can I be better than I was last weekend?
Bonderson: Thank you so much for your time, Kevin.
Kugler: You got it. Have a great day.
Editor’s note: This interview has been edited for time and clarity.
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