Minnesota Native Brad Nessler Eager to Call Gophers vs. Penn State Matchup

Minnesota Native Brad Nessler Eager to Call Gophers vs. Penn State Matchup

Brad Nessler is set to call his first Minnesota Gophers game since their 2015 Halloween clash with Michigan. The St. Charles, Minnesota native—who began his broadcasting journey in 
Mankato—sees this as a special opportunity to reconnect with old friends and his home state.

During a recent interview, Nessler’s cat, Van Brocklin, startled him by leaping onto his desk. Named after NFL Hall of Famer Norm Van Brocklin—who was also the first coach of the Vikings—the feline is part of a family tradition of naming pets after sports legends. Over the years, Nessler’s household has had a Butkus, a Nitschke, an Elway, and a Lambert, among others.

Brad Nessler, now the lead play-by-play announcer for CBS’s Big Ten football broadcasts, will call Saturday’s game between the Gophers and fourth-ranked Penn State at Huntington Bank Stadium. This marks his first time covering a Gophers home game since their narrow 29-26 loss to Michigan in 2015.

He’s excited for the Minnesota return, especially with friends sending him photos of the snowy scenery. “I’ve been getting texts all day of snow on their decks,” he joked. Saturday’s forecast calls for temperatures in the 30s, giving Nessler and his broadcast partner Gary Danielson, a dose of authentic Big Ten November football.

Nessler’s Minnesota ties run deep. He grew up in St. Charles, went to what was then Mankato State College, and served as the Vikings’ radio voice in the late 1980s. “When I got the Vikings job, my dad was so proud he could’ve burst,” Nessler reminisced.

He dreamed of being a sportscaster from a young age, getting his start calling high school games in Mankato. Back then, Nessler wore many hats: “producer, engineer, spotter, and stats guy,” he said, recalling how he once had to climb a telephone pole to connect a phone line. “I was making 50 bucks on a Friday night when I should’ve been out wooing my future wife.”

Minnesota icons like Ray Christensen, Ray Scott, Herb Carneal, and Halsey Hall inspired his early career. Nessler’s big break came in 1990 when he joined CBS, covering NFL, college football, and college basketball games.

Though best known for his work on SEC games, Brad Nessler’s transition to CBS’s Big Ten broadcasts feels like a homecoming. Reuniting with Danielson has been especially meaningful. “It’s like ‘Back to the Future,’” Nessler said. “We started together at ESPN in ‘92, covering Big Ten games. Now we’re seeing old friends and rekindling relationships that never really went away.”

On Saturday, Nessler will observe a Gophers team that has evolved from its traditionally run-heavy offense to one that passes over 50% of the time. “Doing my homework, I thought, ‘Wow, they really throw it around now,’” he said. He noted that the Gophers’ record could look much different had close games against North Carolina and Rutgers gone their way.

He also sees this as a potential “trap game” for Penn State. “They better be careful in Minneapolis,” he warned, recalling the Gophers’ stunning upset of Penn State in 2019.

For Nessler, Saturday’s broadcast is not just another game—it’s a nostalgic return to the place where his passion for sports broadcasting began.