Kent Pavelka will take over the broadcasting duties for the Nebraska men’s basketball team.

The famous voice of the Huskers from 1974 to 1996 will return to the Nebraska sideline this basketball season.

He will replace Randy Lee, who was the radio voice of Nebraska men’s basketball for the last four seasons.

“I’m looking forward to coming back,” said Pavelka, who was also the voice of Nebraska football for 13 years from 1983 to 1996. “I really missed it.”

Kevin Moore, the general manager of Husker Sports Network (known as Pinnacle Sports Network until last week) said the change was along the lines of the change in ownership of the exclusive Husker radio coverage.

Host Communications bought Pinnacle, formed in 1996 by Paul Aaron and Dale Jensen, last week. Host holds the exclusive radio broadcasting rights for NU football, basketball, volleyball and baseball through the summer of 2011.

“This is exciting to be part of the broadcasts of the Huskers with their new coach (Doc Sadler) and new expectations,” Pavelka said.

It was reported in 1996 that Pavelka had “priced himself out of the job,” and KFAB was the loser in the bid for  the rights to Nebraska sports radio broadcasts.

Pinnacle hired Warren Swain to do the play-by-lay for both football and men’s basketball games. Jim Rose replaced Swain for the  football play-by-play duties and coach Bill Callahan’s TV show in 2002.

Moore said the chance to add Pavelka to the new network was important. “We have a chance to rearrange some things and re-image ourselves, and to get a personality like Kent Pavelka is significant,” he said.

Lee will continue to work with the football broadcasting team of Rose and Adrian Fiala, and will work with Rose on the Nebraska baseball radio broadcasts.

“Kent Pavelka is dog-gone good, and he gives us a high profile for the broadcasts,” Moore added. “I’m looking at a guy who will do a great job for a new company going in a bit of a new direction.”

Pavelka worked at KKAR radio in Omaha and left that station in 2005 when he formed Kent Pavelka and Associates, a public relations and project development firm in Omaha.

He filled in for Lee during the NU-Utah Valley State game in 2005 and received positive reviews. Pavelka also did sideline coverage for Fox Sports Net during the Nebraska-Maine football game last fall.

Details of the agreement with Pavelka were not disclosed.

Matt Davison, who has provided color commentary for men’s basketball and sideline reporting for NU football, will continue in that capacity. Davison was often on Fox Sports Net television coverage of NU men’s basketball and recently worked as the color commentator for the pay-per-view coverage of the Nebraska-Troy game Saturday night.

Jeff Korbelik and L. Kent Wolgamott contributed to this story.

Reach Ken Hambleton at 473-7313 or khambleton@journalstar.com.