The University of Nebraska Athletic Department has selected Pinnacle Sports Productions as the recipient of the 2005-06 Trailblazer Award for outstanding contribution to women's athletics. The Nebraska Athletic Department will recognize Pinnacle Sports Productions and co-owner and CEO Paul Aaron during halftime ceremonies of the annual Red-White spring football game on Saturday, April 16. The Trailblazer Award is presented to an individual, family or business, in recognition of outstanding support and generous contributions to Nebraska women's athletics.
Pinnacle Sports Productions is a recognized national leader in the promotion of women's sports and a champion for Husker women's athletics. Three of Nebraska's women's teams are under contract with Pinnacle, including women's basketball, volleyball and softball. Pinnacle first won the rights to broadcast Husker athletics in 1996 and football, men's and women's basketball, baseball and volleyball will celebrate their 10th year on the network during the 2005-06 season. When Pinnacle was granted an extension in 2000, women's softball was added to the list of teams with regular coverage, with 10 games guaranteed to be broadcast by Pinnacle. In addition to three teams under contract, Pinnacle has gone above and beyond the contract by providing coverage of several championship and postseason games for women's soccer and softball.
Pinnacle not only provides live radio coverage of Husker Athletics, but every game broadcast can also be heard live and delayed on Huskers.com. In addition, Pinnacle has provided the means to have some games on Internet only, even when conflicts preclude radio coverage of Husker events. Women's basketball Coach Connie Yori and volleyball coach John Cook also have pre- and postgame radio shows, a midweek radio call-in show and a television show in season, all made possible by Pinnacle. While every school in the Big 12 has radio coverage of women's basketball, only half can boast volleyball coverage and fewer still have coverage of softball.
Coverage of women's athletics and the coaches shows have given the Huskers a tremendous boost in recruiting. Nebraska's women's basketball games are guaranteed to receive coverage in Lincoln and Omaha, and when the women's games are not in conflict with the NU men's basketball games, the women's games are aired on one of the largest networks in the Big 12 Conference with more than eight stations. Nebraska women's basketball was among the first women's teams in the Big 12 to have a radio contract for live broadcasts and coaches shows. Among the conference volleyball schools, Nebraska is the only team to have radio coverage of the entire schedule, as opposed to just select games. Husker softball is celebrating its fifth year of radio coverage and in 2005, will have several games on the Internet, as provided by Pinnacle, in addition to its radio coverage.
"Pinnacle Sports Productions has been a key player in the growth and development of Nebraska Volleyball," Coach Cook said. "Our recruits, fans, families, and the Husker Nation know that no matter where they live, they can hear the game live either on the volleyball radio network or via the Internet."
Pinnacle's support has not only helped in recruiting, but has also assisted each of Nebraska's women's sports to achieve a solid fan base in the state. Nebraska volleyball has been sold out for 56 consecutive matches. In the first year of the Pinnacle contract in 1996, the women's basketball attendance nearly doubled. Currently, NU averages more than 4,000 fans at each women's basketball game, which ranks among the top 30 in the country. Pinnacle gained exclusive broadcast rights for softball in 2000 and the Husker softball team has averaged nearly 1,000 fans per game since moving into Bowlin Stadium in 2002. In addition, Pinnacle's financial support has been significant for the athletic department, teams and coaches. Pinnacle pays the University more than $3.3 million per year for the rights to broadcast Husker sports, which equates to a significant portion (roughly 6 percent) of the athletic department's annual income.
"The support of the Pinnacle Sports Network has provided great exposure for women's basketball across the state of Nebraska for several years," Coach Yori said. "That exposure has helped bring Nebraska women's basketball games into the homes of young girls across the state, which will hopefully get more young players involved in playing basketball in the state in years to come. The exposure the Pinnacle Sports Network has provided our program has obviously helped attendance at our games, which has increased nearly 50 percent over the past two seasons."
Paul Aaron and Dale Jensen have co-owned Pinnacle Sports Productions since 1996. Aaron also serves as CEO of the company and will be accepting the award on behalf of the Pinnacle staff on Saturday. Jensen will be the keynote speaker at the Nebraska Student-Athlete Recognition Banquet on Sunday, April 17.
"It is an unexpected honor to receive this award," Aaron said. "We feel privileged to have association with all of the athletic teams at Nebraska, including the women's programs, which are an important part of the services that Pinnacle Sports Productions provides to Husker Nation fans across the country."
"Pinnacle Sports Productions has been a great partner in so many ways, including their part in the growth of our women's athletics program," " Athletic Director Steve Pederson said. "Not only through their financial support of the department, but by the coverage that they have provided bringing Huskers women's athletics into homes across Nebraska and the Midwest. This is an award well deserved and we are honored to make the presentation."
In 2004, Pinnacle purchased the rights to sell and distribute the coaches television shows. Both Yori and Cook are featured on weekly half-hour shows that are shown statewide on the Nebraska Educational Television network.
Pinnacle's support of the coaches shows for both radio and television, have helped the University recruit, support and retain the best coaches in the nation. Yori led one of the top 10 turnarounds in the country in 2003-04, leading NU to its first trip to the postseason in four years. Last year, the Huskers earned their second-straight postseason appearance. Coach Cook boasts a 154-11 record at Nebraska, and Coach Rhonda Revelle just posted her 500th career softball victory.
Pinnacle is the fifth winner of the annual Trailblazer Award. The others include Dr. Barbara Hibner, for whom the award was named; 2001-02 honorees Dana Raimondi and her late husband Richard Raimondi, as well as their children Christina Raimondi Craft and Melanie Raimondi; 2002-03 recipient Mrs. Ione Bowlin; 2003-04 recipient Betty Geis, in memory of her late daughter, Julie; and 2004-05 winner Carol Frost. The Raimondi and Geis families each endowed scholarships to be awarded to softball student-athletes at Nebraska.
JoAnn Martin to Receive Hibner Trailblazer Award