The Nebraska Broadcasters Association will induct College of Journalism and Mass Communications graduates John Knicely ('74) and Kevin Kugler ('94) into the NBA Hall of Fame on August 11th in Lincoln during the NBA Annual Convention. Established in 1972, the NBA Hall of Fame will grow to 127 members with these pending inductees.
From his start as a TV sportscaster through his 34 years as news anchor on Omaha’s WOWT TV, John Knicely set a long-term standard for credibility and trust in Nebraska’s most competitive television market before retiring in 2025. With a focus on stories that mattered to the community such as public safety and local government accountability, John’s calm delivery also reassured viewers in uncertain times such as tornadoes, terrorist attacks and the 2020 Covid-19 Pandemic. No matter the day’s news, John shared his commitment to uplifting stories through his popular “John at Work” and “Knicely Done” features and earned numerous industry awards over his 50-year career. John took pride in teaching young reporters, anchors and producers to leave their opinions and egos at the door, setting future TV journalists up for success.
Kevin Kugler has the most extensive play by play resume of any Nebraskan, and he continues scaling new heights on a national level. He began by doing play by play on KAWL in York and hosted “Big Red Wrap Up” and other programs on Nebraska Educational Television. Kevin hosted “Unsportsmanlike Conduct” on Omaha’s KOZN for 12 years and is the former radio voice of the UNO Mavericks football and basketball teams. As a play by play announcer for FOX, Kevin has called over 100 NFL games since 2020 along with college basketball, Major League Baseball, the UFL and other events. On the Westwood One Sports network, Kevin calls the NFL, college basketball and other sports. Kevin has been the radio voice of the NCAA Men’s Final Four since 2008 and he has also been calling college basketball on the Big Ten Network since 2012.
