Ben Arnet Joins KOMU As Sports Director

University of Missouri-owned NBC affiliate KOMU Columbia-Jefferson City, Mo. (DMA 137), has hired Ben Arnet as sports director. Arnet will join Jim Riek, Emily Spain and Kenton Gewecke on KOMU 8 News at 6, 9 and 10 p.m. and will host Sports Xtra on Sunday nights at 10:30. Arnet joins KOMU 8 from the Mizzou Network, where he was a senior producer and host, and the SEC Network Plus, where he was a play-by-play announcer.

Arnet, a Columbia native and Hickman High School graduate, pursued a broadcast journalism degree from the University of Missouri. He had the opportunity to cover Mizzou Football’s first win over Nebraska in 25 years in 2003 for KOMU as a student.

“It’s kind of surreal to be back after all these years, but this place is home. I truly believe that the Missouri School of Journalism is not only the oldest but the best J-school in the world and KOMU 8 is a big part of what makes that statement true. I can’t wait to lead today’s KOMU 8 sports reporters and pass my knowledge to them so our viewers can have the best coverage in mid-Missouri,” said Arnet.

After graduating in December 2003, he joined KGUN Tucson, Ariz., as a sports anchor and reporter from 2004 to 2006. From 2007 to 2009, he was a sports anchor, reporter and host of Overtime Live at KAKE Wichita, Kan.; and from 2009 to 2011, he was a sports anchor at Your News Now Buffalo (now known as Spectrum News) in Buffalo, N.Y. Over his career, he has covered numerous NCAA tournaments, NBA playoffs, NHL Stanley Cup playoffs, numerous Bowl games, high school state championships in four states and three of the five “Power Five” college sports conferences.

In 2011, Arnet came home to mid-Missouri to help launch the Mizzou Network. He was the first anchor and reporter for the network. He later served as the host for This Week in Mizzou Football and This Week in Mizzou Basketball, which aired on KOMU, Fox Sports Midwest and other Missouri affiliates until the shows were phased out in 2018.

Arnet added the role of play-by-play announcer for the SEC Network Plus during the 2014-2015 season. Over the past six years, he’s called over 250 games of soccer, volleyball, men’s and women’s basketball, gymnastics, softball and baseball on the SEC Network Plus, SEC Network and ESPNU.

Arnet’s contract will begin on Saturday, Aug. 1, and he will make his debut on Sunday, Aug. 2 during KOMU 8 News at Ten and Sports Xtra at 10:30.

KOMU is an auxiliary enterprise of the University of Missouri and is expected to generate all revenues for station operations. Its operations and investments in broadcast technology are funded entirely by advertising and retransmission revenues. The station receives no funding from the university or state.