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Jason Alvine has been a Bear since around the time that UNC鈥檚 football team won back-to-back national championships in the 1990s. Back then, he was a student, staying late in Candelaria Hall to edit projects as part of his Journalism and Telecommunications studies. Now, he鈥檚 starting a new season behind the mic as the newest Voice of the Bears, announcing football and men鈥檚 basketball home games. 

This fall, as COVID-19 has forced tough decisions delaying athletic seasons, Alvine has a less-than-normal schedule. In a typical year in his new job, he鈥檇 be hosting a coach鈥檚 show with Head Football Coach Ed McCaffrey on Tuesday nights; instead, he鈥檚 hosting Inside the Bear鈥檚 Den on KFKA 1310. There, he interviews coaches, athletes and alumni, giving them an opportunity to share their stories. 

Like so many sports fans, Alvine is excited for sports to begin again; Big Sky basketball is scheduled to kick off Nov. 25.

鈥淚 think we all kind of miss the camaraderie that sports allows us,鈥� he says. He鈥檚 looking forward to McCaffrey鈥檚 and Men鈥檚 Basketball Head Coach Steve Smiley鈥檚 first seasons as head coaches. He鈥檚 poised as a brand ambassador for the university, and he鈥檚 ready to invite his family and fellow alumni back to the stands in the future. In the meantime, he praises the way coaches and players have made the best of a tough fall.

鈥淔or them to continue to hold out and stay positive, it was nothing short of amazing,鈥� he says of the Bears he鈥檚 interviewed.  

A native of Loveland and the son of a football coach, Alvine considered walking on to UNC鈥檚 football team when he started his student career, but injury and a recognition of the caliber of UNC鈥檚 players gave him pause. Instead, he got his sports fix by attending UNC games and, for an internship, calling color for high school football games for a local TV station in Loveland.

He remembers his UNC professors for going 鈥渢he extra mile鈥� to make sure their students were well-prepared for careers in the real world. In his first reporting class, he says his professor based grading on a journalistic axiom: 鈥淔acts matter. You have to have 100 percent accuracy.鈥� The professor followed through, assigning zeros on work that contained factual errors 鈥� thus, Alvine says, pushing students to be the very best they could be. 

He continued working at the TV station in Loveland until it shut down, then moving into radio despite never having taken a radio course. In 2009, he returned to UNC to call women鈥檚 basketball games for ESPN 870. From there, he earned a master鈥檚 degree in Athletic Administration at Idaho State, worked as the Director of Operations for Montana State鈥檚 women鈥檚 basketball team and called Montana State sports. Then, the opportunity to return to UNC arose when COVID-19 cuts ended the career of the previous Voice of the Bears, longtime announcer Troy Coverdale.

鈥淚 respect the heck out of Troy Coverdale and what he鈥檚 done for this university,鈥� Alvine says. 鈥淭o be somewhere 17 years, and be the voice of a university and an institution for 17 years, I mean, it鈥檚 the goal and the dream for a lot of people.鈥�

His advice to students interested in that kind of dream? Go for it, work hard, and make it work.