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Ever wondered what it’s really like to be the voice you hear inside Gampel Pavilion and PeoplesBank Arena on UConn game days?

In this episode of the Connecticut Scoreboard Podcast, we sit down with Jonathan Barden, the PA voice of the Huskies, to go behind the microphone and learn what it takes to bring a UConn basketball game to life.

Jonathan shares how he got into PA announcing, how his signature voice developed, what his game-day preparation looks like, and whether he can actually enjoy the game while having to call every basket, foul and substitution.

We also get into one of the biggest challenges of the job: pronounciations. Jonathan talks about preparing for difficult names, whether he’s ever worried about getting one wrong, how much he rehearses player introductions, and whether he has a favorite name to announce.

And, of course, we had to ask: Do Jonathan’s friends ever make him say things in his PA voice?