TOPEKA, Kan. – The Washburn Ichabod athletic department has announced a broadcast network location change for the upcoming athletic season, as well as a familiar voice to lead Washburn broadcasts on the free Varsity Network through the Learfield Network.
Brendan Dzwierzynski is moving to a full-time position in the athletic department as the Director of Broadcasting. He will handle play-by-play duties for Ichabod football, soccer, volleyball, men's and women's basketball, baseball, and softball. Dzwierzynski will also write athlete profiles for
wusports.com and will host the athletic department's coaches shows and podcasts.
"I'm thrilled to be joining Washburn Athletics full-time as the Director of Broadcasting, Dzwierzynski said. "This is an incredible opportunity to not only expand our play-by-play broadcast offerings but also to help tell the stories of the incredible teams, players and coaches at Washburn. This school has been so good to me since taking over as the Voice of the Ichabods in 2023, and I can't wait to see where this new adventure goes."
Prior to Washburn, Dzwierzynski spent nine years as a play-by-play broadcaster and sports talk host for WIBW Radio in Topeka including the last two-plus seasons as the "Voice of the Ichabods." During that time, he has won nine awards from the Kansas Association of Broadcasters, including two first-place honors for best large market play-by-play.
Originally from LaGrange Park, Illinois, Dzwierzynski graduated with a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Kansas in 2017. He lives in Topeka with his wife, Abbey, and daughter, Alexandria. He also is an owner of his favorite NFL team, the Green Bay Packers.
"We're excited for this new adventure," Washburn athletic director Loren Ferré said. "We now have the ability to promote and tell the stories of our teams and great student-athletes through new avenues. The Varsity Network gives our fans a location to listen to Washburn Athletics wherever they go."
The Varsity Network is the official app for live and on-demand college sports broadcasts. Owned by Learfield, it is designed to be the ultimate hub for fans to hear their favorite school's hometown radio calls, coaches' shows, and original podcasts. All links to broadcasts will be available through a mobile app as well as through the schedule pages on wusports.com. With the app, Ichabod fans will be able to listen to Ichabod games and other content around the world and in their vehicles through the Varsity app using the car's entertainment center with CarPlay and all content will be archived as well.
FAQ's
- Is there a cost for the Varsity app?
Answer – no, there is no cost and downloading the app is free … fans can also create a log in to customize their experience with the Washburn Channel.
- Will Washburn games still be available on the radio?
Answer – no, however with the free Varsity app … fans will be able to listen to games on their smartphone, on their computer (through the Varsity Network) and in their car using Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.
- Where will links to games be posted?
Answer – as in the past, all links to broadcasts will be listed on wusports.com and through the Washburn channel on the Varsity app … links will also be posted on gameday social media posts.
- Will other sports such as baseball, volleyball, softball and soccer now be broadcast as well?
Answer – yes, by having a full-time director of broadcasting, Washburn will have more options in its broadcast schedule.
- Will this affect the MIAA Network broadcasts?
Answer – no, Brendan will still have the broadcast call in both locations through the Varsity app and for selected home games for baseball, softball, soccer and volleyball on the MIAA Network.
- Does the Varsity app have an archive so past games can be listened to?
Answer – yes, all content from previous games to podcasts to anything uploaded can be listened to again.
