Jorgensen given chance to start new career path with Loper athletics
By: Evan Jones
When you hear University of Nebraska Kearney athletics on the radio, you’re tuned into KRVN’s major FM station 93.1 The River. UNK and the Rural Radio Network will be broadcast partners for five years. KRVN and the Rural Radio Network are known for their ag coverage across Nebraska and a variety of Midwest states, but agriculture isn’t their only category of coverage. They are the longest running affiliate for the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Additionally, for 67 years, they have been covering high school sports. So, it made sense for KRVN and 93.1 The River to become the station for the Lopers.
KRVN Sports Director Jayson Jorgensen is the new voice of the Lopers. KRVN announced they would be taking over Loper athletics on the radio in July 2017. Jorgensen has been broadcasting sports for 25 years and has been working for KRVN for 20.
When Jorgensen heard the news, he was ready for the task. “I was pretty excited. I grew up listening to Loper games. I had thought about doing those games for a long time, but the job was never open. I also knew they had been negotiating for a while, and I didn’t know if they’d give us a shot, so when they said they were, it was a pretty big day.”
A major key for a successful broadcaster is the prep that goes into it. Jorgensen says prep is one of the aspects he enjoys prior to doing a Loper broadcast. “I look forward to the game notes I receive from each school. I like to have all of the information, so I can begin to put my boards together and be fully ready for the broadcast,” Jorgensen said.
Jorgensen has done many high school games throughout his career, so mostly his travel was across the state of Nebraska. Since beginning this journey as the voice of the Lopers, he has been travelling to several venues across the MIAA. “It’s been interesting to travel because I’ve travelled some but not a lot, so it’s been neat to be in St. Charles, Missouri, and Lindenwood. It was cool the first time we went to Edmond, Oklahoma, to see their football field. They have this huge field and a working oil well which sits in the corner there, so you’re not use to seeing things like that. I haven’t been to every place yet, but I look forward to it,” Jorgensen said.
Loper athletics has been trending up in the success category, and Jorgensen says it will be fun to follow UNK. “It will be fun to document the success of the football team. You know they were 3-8 last year but they pretty close to winning five games. I think they will get better. I really enjoyed calling the volleyball, especially getting to do the NCAA tournament up in Marshall, Minnesota. Even though they lost, that was pretty cool,” Jorgensen said.
Jorgensen says he has also built some relationships so far while doing the UNK broadcasts. “Getting to know the kids on the bus has been great. When you first start, they really don’t know who you are, and then you kind of see it throughout the year and now when I get on the bus I’m not a stranger anymore.”
