LINCOLN — Greg Sharpe and Matt Davison will be the only voices coming from the Nebraska football broadcast booth next season.

David Witty of the Husker Sports Network said Monday that Adrian Fiala would no longer be part of the radio broadcasts. Fiala had done color commentary for the Husker Sports Network and Pinnacle Sports since 1996.

“It came to a point where we thought a two-man booth would be the best way to go,'' said Witty, vice president and general manager of the Husker Sports Network.

Fiala had worked with play-by-play announcers Warren Swain, Jim Rose and Sharpe over the last 14 years. Davison, a former Husker receiver, was added to the booth in 2007.

The three-person operation, Witty said, made it hard “to get done everything we need to get done'' during broadcasts that are already “pretty complex.'' No other Big 12 school currently uses a three-person booth for football broadcasts.

Also, Witty said the shift to two would maybe give Sharpe and Davison a chance to be featured more.

“Now you have two people in the booth instead of three,'' Witty said, “and Greg and Matt can maybe get their thoughts and personalities out there even more.''

The removal of Fiala is the second significant change to Husker football broadcasts in the last 27 months, following the resignation of Rose late in the 2007 season.

Fiala did not return calls to The World-Herald. The former NU linebacker also is involved with Husker football as co-host of the weekly Big Red Wrapup on NET, and also has done color analysis for Husker baseball on NET1.

“He had been great to me — really opened his arms to me and accepted me into the Husker family,'' said Sharpe, who replaced Rose in November 2007. “I just respected his wealth of knowledge and background with the program, and appreciated how he was prepared for broadcasts.''

Witty and Fiala met recently to discuss the change, which Witty said was anything but a spur-of-the-moment decision.

“Just like anything, we're always evaluating,'' Witty said. “It starts back at the Florida Atlantic game and goes all the way through the bowl game.

“We talk internally on a weekly basis on what we can do to improve the broadcast. That's why we're making a few tweaks and changes here in addition to Adrian.''

Witty said those will come with the pregame show, which will remain the same length but include an effort to “create a little more excitement, energy and anticipation.'' Lane Grindle will return as sideline reporter during games.

Contact the writer:

444-1042, rich.kaipust@owh.com

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