Oct 26, 2026 | Men's Basketball, Sports Extra
By: D. Scott Fritchen
A legendary voice went silent when Kansas State graduate Greg Sharpe, the one-time Voice of the Wildcats who spent 17 years as Voice of the Huskers, passed away after a year-long battle with pancreatic cancer.
A college basketball game along with a new scholarship in Sharpe's honor will help keep the spirit of Sharpe alive.
When the Kansas State men's basketball team travels to face Nebraska in an exhibition game for the Battle at the BigIron at BigIrons Events Center in Grand Island, Nebraska, at 6:30 p.m. Monday, the broadcast of the meeting between two old Big Eight and Big 12 Conference rivals will be called "The Greg Sharpe Scholarship Game."
The game will be called by one student from the UNL College of Journalism and Mass Communications and one student from K-State's A.Q. Miller School of Media and Communication.
The game comes as Nebraska and K-State have begun the Greg Sharpe Sports Broadcasting Scholarship, which supports students pursuing degrees in news and sports media at Nebraska and K-State.
It was an idea born when two old college best friends from the University of Nebraska — Bill Doleman and Ben Boyle — got together for dinner after a Nebraska football game on October 3 in Lincoln, Nebraska.
"I asked Ben, 'What if we did the K-State/Nebraska game in Grand Island and I had one of my student announcers do play-by-play and the K-State student do color commentary, and we honor Greg because he was at both schools?" Doleman said. "That's really it. They had the scholarships at the two schools, it just so happened, when I ran it across my dean and our foundation person to make sure we had the scholarships."
Doleman has been involved in sports broadcasting for more than four decades and serves as assistant professor of practice in Sports Media & Communications/ Broadcasting at Nebraska, while Boyle is most notably recognized as the General Manager of K-State Sports Properties (LEARFIELD) and the ESPN+ play-by-play broadcaster for K-State.
Sharpe began his sports broadcasting career as an intern at WIBW-TV in Topeka in 1986. The internship became a full-time job, and after a decade, he moved to WIBW Radio as Voice of the Wildcats. He became Voice of the Huskers in 2007 for football and baseball while also working as a television host.
Along the way, Sharpe was named Sportscaster of the Year in both Kansas and Nebraska and was inducted into the Kansas Broadcasters Hall of Fame. Nebraska honored Sharpe in September by renaming its football stadium's broadcast area The Greg Sharpe Radio Booth.
Doleman and Boyle have fond memories of the 61-year-old Sharpe, who passed away on February 14, 2025.
"What a great way to honor Greg and raise some money," Boyle said. "What a great opportunity for the two students who'll be calling the game. It should be a lot of fun and a neat atmosphere for the basketball game. It's pretty cool that the next Greg Sharpe, Wyatt Thompson or maybe the next Mitch Holthus is out there somewhere in high school right now. This scholarship, once we get it funded, could help bring the next Greg Sharpe, Wyatt Thompson or Mitch Holthus to K-State or Nebraska."
Sharpe connected with fans through his work in radio and television, but his play-by-play announcing made him especially respected by his peers across the region.
"We're excited for some money get raised," Doleman said. "Greg was such a good guy. He was a guy you shook hands, shared a laugh, and wished a good broadcast, and we'll see you again. I want my students to understand the work is the reward in this business, and the relationships are a great byproduct. You can see somebody once a year or two or three times a season and consider them a friend because of mutual respect. That's the best part about a very difficult business. Friendships are what makes the business great."
In honor of Sharpe's life and impact, Stan Weber, Greg's longtime K-State broadcasting partner and friend, has established a $20,000 matching gift to support the scholarship. Advisors Excel has provided an additional $20,000 matching gift, inspired by Greg's wife, Amy Sharpe, and television and radio host with Advisors Excel. Together, these matching gifts will triple the impact of contributions made through the campaign.
Weber surprised Amy Sharpe with his generous gesture when Boyle brought her into the K-State radio booth at Bill Snyder Family Stadium to see Weber and Thompson after a K-State football game on October 10.
"Amy came down to the game, and I took her over to see Wyatt and Stan after the game," Boyle said. "Stan surprised her and announced that he was going to match $20,000 and that was incredible. Advisors Excel is now doing the same match, so there's a ton of momentum to get the scholarship fully funded."
All in the name of a great man whose unmistakable Hall-of-Fame voice was so dear to so many lives across Kansas and Nebraska.
"I love the fact that Greg was embraced by Nebraska when he took over the job and that he embraced Nebraska, too, being a K-State grad," Doleman said. "It was a great opportunity to get the job, and it became more than a job. As a Nebraska guy, I love the fact that he embraced Nebraska and Nebraskans embraced him.
"I just thought it'd be a cool idea to have two students do the game — one wearing red and one wearing purple. It's taken off from there."
A legendary voice went silent when Kansas State graduate Greg Sharpe, the one-time Voice of the Wildcats who spent 17 years as Voice of the Huskers, passed away after a year-long battle with pancreatic cancer.
A college basketball game along with a new scholarship in Sharpe's honor will help keep the spirit of Sharpe alive.
When the Kansas State men's basketball team travels to face Nebraska in an exhibition game for the Battle at the BigIron at BigIrons Events Center in Grand Island, Nebraska, at 6:30 p.m. Monday, the broadcast of the meeting between two old Big Eight and Big 12 Conference rivals will be called "The Greg Sharpe Scholarship Game."
The game will be called by one student from the UNL College of Journalism and Mass Communications and one student from K-State's A.Q. Miller School of Media and Communication.
The game comes as Nebraska and K-State have begun the Greg Sharpe Sports Broadcasting Scholarship, which supports students pursuing degrees in news and sports media at Nebraska and K-State.
It was an idea born when two old college best friends from the University of Nebraska — Bill Doleman and Ben Boyle — got together for dinner after a Nebraska football game on October 3 in Lincoln, Nebraska.
"I asked Ben, 'What if we did the K-State/Nebraska game in Grand Island and I had one of my student announcers do play-by-play and the K-State student do color commentary, and we honor Greg because he was at both schools?" Doleman said. "That's really it. They had the scholarships at the two schools, it just so happened, when I ran it across my dean and our foundation person to make sure we had the scholarships."
Doleman has been involved in sports broadcasting for more than four decades and serves as assistant professor of practice in Sports Media & Communications/ Broadcasting at Nebraska, while Boyle is most notably recognized as the General Manager of K-State Sports Properties (LEARFIELD) and the ESPN+ play-by-play broadcaster for K-State.
Sharpe began his sports broadcasting career as an intern at WIBW-TV in Topeka in 1986. The internship became a full-time job, and after a decade, he moved to WIBW Radio as Voice of the Wildcats. He became Voice of the Huskers in 2007 for football and baseball while also working as a television host.
Along the way, Sharpe was named Sportscaster of the Year in both Kansas and Nebraska and was inducted into the Kansas Broadcasters Hall of Fame. Nebraska honored Sharpe in September by renaming its football stadium's broadcast area The Greg Sharpe Radio Booth.
Doleman and Boyle have fond memories of the 61-year-old Sharpe, who passed away on February 14, 2025.
"What a great way to honor Greg and raise some money," Boyle said. "What a great opportunity for the two students who'll be calling the game. It should be a lot of fun and a neat atmosphere for the basketball game. It's pretty cool that the next Greg Sharpe, Wyatt Thompson or maybe the next Mitch Holthus is out there somewhere in high school right now. This scholarship, once we get it funded, could help bring the next Greg Sharpe, Wyatt Thompson or Mitch Holthus to K-State or Nebraska."
Sharpe connected with fans through his work in radio and television, but his play-by-play announcing made him especially respected by his peers across the region.
"We're excited for some money get raised," Doleman said. "Greg was such a good guy. He was a guy you shook hands, shared a laugh, and wished a good broadcast, and we'll see you again. I want my students to understand the work is the reward in this business, and the relationships are a great byproduct. You can see somebody once a year or two or three times a season and consider them a friend because of mutual respect. That's the best part about a very difficult business. Friendships are what makes the business great."
In honor of Sharpe's life and impact, Stan Weber, Greg's longtime K-State broadcasting partner and friend, has established a $20,000 matching gift to support the scholarship. Advisors Excel has provided an additional $20,000 matching gift, inspired by Greg's wife, Amy Sharpe, and television and radio host with Advisors Excel. Together, these matching gifts will triple the impact of contributions made through the campaign.
Weber surprised Amy Sharpe with his generous gesture when Boyle brought her into the K-State radio booth at Bill Snyder Family Stadium to see Weber and Thompson after a K-State football game on October 10.
"Amy came down to the game, and I took her over to see Wyatt and Stan after the game," Boyle said. "Stan surprised her and announced that he was going to match $20,000 and that was incredible. Advisors Excel is now doing the same match, so there's a ton of momentum to get the scholarship fully funded."
All in the name of a great man whose unmistakable Hall-of-Fame voice was so dear to so many lives across Kansas and Nebraska.
"I love the fact that Greg was embraced by Nebraska when he took over the job and that he embraced Nebraska, too, being a K-State grad," Doleman said. "It was a great opportunity to get the job, and it became more than a job. As a Nebraska guy, I love the fact that he embraced Nebraska and Nebraskans embraced him.
"I just thought it'd be a cool idea to have two students do the game — one wearing red and one wearing purple. It's taken off from there."
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