Greg Sharpe, longtime Nebraska football and baseball voice, dies after battle with cancer

Greg Sharpe, the longtime voice of Nebraska football and baseball, has died. He battled pancreatic cancer since last year.

Sharpe, 61, arrived at Nebraska in 2008, serving as a senior announcer, host and producer. He became the “Voice of the Huskers,” calling football and basketball games on the radio and running point on the Sports Nightly show. He announced his cancer diagnosis in April 2024.

Amid his battle, Nebraska honored Sharpe, who kept working as much as he could. The Cornhuskers also honored him by renaming the radio booth the Greg Sharpe Radio Booth just last month.

“On behalf of everyone in the Nebraska Athletic Department, I would like to share our deepest condolences with the family of Greg Sharpe,” Nebraska AD Troy Dannen said in a statement. “This is a tough day for everyone. Not only those who were close to Greg and those who had the opportunity to work with him, but also for Husker fans who have fond memories of Greg’s calls of iconic moments in Nebraska history.

“Greg was an incredible person and was a friend to everyone. Simply put, he defined what it meant to be a Husker, and he will always be a Husker.”

Before he took over at Nebraska, Sharpe was the voice of Kansas State. He called Wildcats football and baseball games from 1996-2002.

This past year, even after announcing his cancer diagnosis, Sharpe continued calling Huskers football games. He missed a few games, but was still involved as the program ended its bowl drought and finished 7-6 after a Pinstripe Bowl victory.

In December, Sharpe was honored by the National Sports Media Association. He was named the Nebraska Sportscaster of the Year and received the news personally from executive director Dave Goren, who called in to Sports Nightly to deliver the message.

“Hello, Greg. I wanted to ring out 2024 in a good way and ring in 2025 in a better way by telling you that have been elected by your peers as the 2024 Nebraska Sportscaster of the Year,” Goren said. “Congratulations.”

Sharpe didn’t know Goren was going to call into the show. After hearing the news, he spoke about just how much the honor means.

“Dave, that’s incredible,” Sharpe said. “Thank you so much for delivering that news. I have so much respect for you and the organization. I’ve been fortunate to be a winner in multiple states, and this means an awful lot to me. that is so nice of you to deliver the news in-person with me. Thank you so much.”