How to Sync Husker Radio Calls to the TV Broadcast

This is a golden age for Nebraska fans who want to follow their favorite teams when they cannot watch in person. Thanks to the Big Ten's prolific media rights deal, almost every game or match played by Husker football, volleyball, baseball, softball, and basketball teams (men's or women's) is likely to be televised or streamed.

However, that also comes with some drawbacks. I've found that many of the play-by-play crews on the TV broadcasts (especially those on BTN+) leave a lot to be desired.* Heck, I originally wrote these instructions as a way to avoid one of my least favorite announcers (FOX's Gus Johnson). I was tired of listening to him shout (and mispronounce) his way through another frustrating loss.

*I have been impressed by the student broadcasters on Nebraska's BTN+ broadcasts. But if you watch a lot of Husker sports on BTN+, you'll want to get very familiar with these instructions.

In the last few years, I have come to really enjoy - and in most cases, prefer - the broadcast teams on the Huskers Radio Network. They are informative, entertaining, and bring just the right amount of home team pride.

The current roster of talent on the Huskers Radio Network is tremendous.

Baseball: Ben McLaughlin and Nick Handley have great chemistry and play off each other very well to create an entertaining broadcast.
Football: Kyle Crooks is extremely talented, and analyst Jay Moore knows the game at a high level. Sideline reporter Jessica Coody gets insights that the national crews miss.
Men's Basketball: In my opinion, Kent Pavelka is the Husker broadcasting GOAT. The addition of Jeff Smith has elevated that crew.
Women's Basketball: Are Matt Coatney and Jeff Griesch a delight to listen to? You betcha!
Softball: Nate Rohr's love of the game - and the Nebraska softball team - comes through in his call.
Volleyball: John Baylor's numerous colloquialisms are hilarious, and Lauren Cook West's unique qualifications (former All-American and daughter of a coaching legend) make her an excellent analyst.

In the old days, syncing up the Huskers radio audio with a TV broadcast was easy. Simply turn down the volume on the TV, tune in KFAB (or your local affiliate) on the radio, and let Pavelka and Gary Sadlemyer bring the action into your living room.

Today, the task seems harder. Most "live" sporting events on over-the-air or cable TV have a delay that puts the telecast behind the radio call. If you stream games, there is usually an additional delay.

With my current setup (streaming from the FOX or ESPN app on a Roku), I'm at least 30-90 seconds behind what's happening in the stadium. If I turn the radio on, what I'm hearing will be one or two plays ahead of what I'm seeing. No thank you.

But friends, we can have the best of both worlds. And it is simple enough that the most technically unsavvy fans (i.e. my Baby Boomer in-laws) can do it with ease.

Minimum requirements

A TV with access to the network, channel, or streaming service broadcasting the game. If you're watching the game, you already have this.
A mobile device (smartphone or tablet) that is connected to the internet via Wi-Fi or your cellular provider. A laptop will work too, assuming it can connect to the internet.
If you’re using a mobile device, download the Huskers mobile app on that device. The app is free and available on the Apple App Store or Google Play.

The basic steps (using a smartphone or tablet)

Using your TV, turn on the game. Mute the audio on your TV or soundbar. Let the game play in the background.
Using your mobile device, open the Huskers app.
In the Huskers app, find the audio for the Huskers event you want to listen to. This can typically be on the Home page, or by tapping on the Audio tab.
On the app, tap the Play button to start listening to the radio audio.
The audio is typically ahead of the TV. Listen to a few seconds of game action and tap the Pause button on the Huskers app.
Watch your TV. When you see the action you just heard, tap Play, and you'll be ready to go.
If necessary, you can make micro adjustments on the Huskers app by toggling Pause and Play.

The basic steps (using a laptop or desktop computer)

Using your TV, turn on the game. Mute the audio on your TV or soundbar. Let the game play in the background.
On your laptop or computer, open your preferred internet browser and go to www.Huskers.com/listen
The current game or match should appear under the Live tab.
Click the Play button to start listening to the radio audio.
The audio is typically ahead of the TV. Listen to a few seconds of game action and click the Pause button on the Huskers website.
Watch your TV. When you see the action you just heard, click Play, and you'll be ready to go.
If necessary, you can make micro adjustments on the Huskers website, by toggling Pause and Play.

Optional next steps to enhance your experience

Plug in your mobile device or laptop. A college football game can last well over three hours. The last thing you want is to scramble for a power cord in crunch time.
Connect your mobile device to a soundbar or mobile speaker (via Bluetooth or other means). This will make the sound easier to hear and provide better quality. If you're watching the game with multiple people, you'll want to learn how to do this.
Consider using a dedicated device for streaming the audio, such as an older (but still functional) phone or tablet. This will allow you to keep your phone free and should reduce interruptions to the stream.

That's it. I told you it was easy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Somehow my stream got out of sync. What's the easiest way to get it back?

The answer depends on which direction you're out of sync, as well as the functionality of your setup.

If the audio is ahead of the TV, you should be able to tap the Play/Pause buttons on the Huskers app to get back into sync.
If the audio is behind the TV, see if you can pause your television. If so, use your TV remote to get back into sync.

If in doubt, you can always close the Huskers app or website and restart the steps above.

I'm using my smartphone for the audio stream. Can I do other things on my phone without interrupting the sync?

Yes, but you'll want to be careful.

With the audio playing on your phone, you can toggle over to other apps (social media, texting, email, etc.) without issue. However, be advised that anything that plays audio may cause your audio stream to pause or stop, which will throw you out of sync. This definitely includes videos, mobile games, and any phone calls that you make or receive.

This is why I recommend having a dedicated device (such as an old phone or tablet) to stream the Huskers audio, leaving your phone available to scroll social media, play your favorite game, or talk with your friends.

I don't subscribe to the channel/network/streaming service the game is on. Is there a way I can still watch it?

Your best option (without crossing into ethically and/or legally questionable territory) is to find a friend or local establishment that has the game. Sometimes, streaming services will offer free trials or promo codes.

But even if you cannot watch the game, you can still listen! The Huskers app will still work, as will Alexa or other smart speakers.

How do I listen to the Huskers Radio Network audio on my Alexa or smart speaker?

You'll need to know the frequency and call letters of the station broadcasting the game. Then ask Alexa to stream that station. NOTE: This does not need to be your local affiliate. I like to use the flagship station for that sport. KLIN 1400 AM out of Lincoln is the flagship station for men’s sports, and B1073 is the flagship for most women’s sports.

To listen live to baseball, football, or men’s basketball games, say "Alexa, stream fourteen hundred K L I N."
To stream women's basketball or volleyball, say "Alexa, stream K B B K 1 0 7 3."
Nebraska softball does not currently have a dedicated radio station, but you can still stream the games on the web or Huskers app.

Can I sync the Huskers Radio Network audio to my TV using an Alexa or smart speaker?

In my testing, I was unable to sync an Alexa-based audio stream to the TV. I could not pause the Alexa stream, so the audio was always a few plays ahead of the TV.

I like to record games to watch/rewatch later. Can I still sync to the Huskers Radio Network audio?

Yes! The Audio section of the Huskers mobile app (or Huskers.com) has full game broadcasts under the Replay tab.

However, those replays are the entire radio broadcast (from the pregame show through the postgame). For a football game, the broadcast day can easily span 11 hours, so you'll need a little trial and error to find the start of the game.

Additionally, most of the radio replays have commercial breaks. These may not match the number or length of the breaks on your telecast, so you might get out of sync.

Why can’t I stream the audio for Nebraska’s March Madness games on the Huskers app?

NCAA rules prohibit schools from streaming the radio call of games during the NCAA basketball tournament. You can listen over the air, but not via the website or app.

Are there any other settings I should be aware of?

With previous versions of the Huskers app, the stream would disconnect whenever the phone screen locked. However, in my testing this is no longer an issue. You can start a live stream on the app, close your phone screen, and the audio will still play.

If you run into this issue, consider increasing your screen timeout and/or using an "always on while charging" setting.

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