University of Northern Iowa Athletics
Rogers, Paulson named new public address announcers for UNI basketball
10/15/2024 12:00:00 PM | Football, Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball
Rogers takes over women’s basketball PA duties as Paulson succeeds longtime UNI announcer Bob Justis for both men’s basketball in 2024-25, plus football in 2025.
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa --- UNI Athletics on Tuesday announced the hiring of Gina Rogers as its new public address (PA) announcer for UNI women's basketball. Additionally, Josh Paulson, who has spent the previous 15 years providing PA service for the Panther women's basketball team, will become the new full-time PA announcer for UNI men's basketball, as well as UNI football beginning with the 2025 season.
Paulson succeeds Bob Justis as the PA voice of Panther men's basketball and football, who spent the previous 49 seasons announcing UNI basketball games in the West Gym, UNI-Dome and McLeod Center before calling his final season this past year. Justis, who is currently announcing his 48th and final year of Northern Iowa football will be recognized for his years of service to Panther Athletics at UNI's final home football game on Nov. 23 against Indiana State and a home men's game to be determined.
A Sigourney, Iowa native, Rogers brings a wealth of experience behind the microphone to UNI. In recent years, she has served as the PA announcer for multiple teams at the University of Iowa, including women's field hockey, basketball, volleyball, softball, swimming and diving and gymnastics, as well as men's tennis and diving. She has also been the PA announcer for countless high school and college sporting events, as well as the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union's (IGHSAU) state volleyball and basketball championships.Â
Rogers has also leased her skills during the National Junior Collegiate Athletic Association's (NJCAA) Division II Volleyball National Championships, plus USA Volleyball's junior national championships and USA Field Hockey's Junior Olympics. Not only is Rogers skilled as a PA announcer, but she has also provided color commentary for sporting events in Iowa on television and radio, including the IGHSAU state basketball live stream, KCRG-TV 9.2, ESPN's radio affiliate in Cedar Rapids, 1600 KGYM and 600 WMT.
"Women's sports are having a great moment right now," explained Rogers. "We have so many eyes on our games. It is important to me for the young athletes in attendance to see and hear that the gender of the voice does not matter; The passion does. I am excited to bring my voice and passion for the game to UNI! We want to continue to elevate the fan and student athlete experience by working together to create the best atmosphere in the Valley!"
Paulson, a Cedar Falls, Iowa native, has served as the PA announcer for UNI women's basketball since 2009, providing in-arena announcing duties during the program's most successful era that has included a pair of Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) regular season championships (2011, 2016), two MVC Tournament titles (2010-11), three NCAA Tournament berths (2010, 2011, 2017) and nine WNIT appearances (2013, 2015, 2018-19, 2021-24). In addition to his experience with the Panthers, he spent three years announcing Cedar Falls High School baseball games (2008-10) and later five seasons as the PA voice of the Cedar Rapids Kernels, the Single-A minor league affiliate of the Minnesota Twins (2012-16). Paulson has also provided PA services for Springville High School football since 2012.
"I started attending UNI football and basketball games in the UNI-Dome when I was in elementary school," Paulson described. "After seeing the Panthers run out of the tunnel before football games and hearing the starting lineups introduced at basketball games, I knew I wanted to have the job of being "the voice" of those events for the Panthers. Bob Justis was a childhood idol of mine and the chance to follow in his footsteps is something that I am very excited about. I saw the Chicago Bulls play in the nineties in-person and it felt like Bob brought the same energy and enthusiasm to the Dome as the Bulls had in the NBA. Most kids grew up wanted to be "like Mike" – I wanted to be "like Bob"."
Both Rogers and Paulson will make their debuts with their respective teams this fall as UNI women's basketball hosts Quincy in a home preseason exhibition game on Tuesday, Oct. 29 at 6 p.m. CT, while the Panther men's basketball team will host Dubuque in its regular season opener on Monday, Nov. 4 at 7 p.m. CT.
UNI Athletics action can be followed all season long on social media on Facebook (UNI Athletics), X (@UNIAthletics) and on Instagram (@uniathletics). The full 2024 schedule and roster, along with the latest Panther news and information can be found online at UNIpanthers.com.