It’s opening night for many football teams across Minnesota, and it’s opening night for us. Welcome to Episode 1 of “Strib Varsity Live with Randy Shaver.” The show will stream live, right here, starting at 9:30 p.m. Thursday night. We expect to go a little more than an hour. Let’s have some fun together:

You’ll see Shaver, who retired last summer after 43 years in television news and sports reporting, jumping back into a role similar to the one that made him a household name during his many years on KARE-11. We will deliver scores from all schools across Minnesota and highlights from some key games. Shaver will have exclusive interviews with players and coaches after their games, and he’ll talk live with Strib Varsity reporters from their postgame positions in pressboxes.

The best game of the night will be the Frandsen Bank and Trust Featured Game of the Night, named after the show’s primary sponsor. Thursday night’s Frandsen Feature is Rogers at Moorhead.

“Strib Varsity Live with Randy Shaver” will be a live show streaming on stribvarsity.com on nights when there are many football games throughout Minnesota. Viewers can watch the streaming show on any screen. Our audience is most frequently on their smartphones, and the show can be viewed on any device, including laptops and smart TVs. You can cast the show from your phone to your smart TV, or if you are a Roku user by downloading the MCN6 app and watching the show on MCN6’s live station.

On whatever screen you watch, you’ll get to see Shaver back in the saddle.

“What a thrill it is to join the team at the Minnesota Star Tribune,” Shaver said before the season. “And I can’t wait to dive back into the madness that is live broadcasting. We’re bringing back a Minnesota tradition: live football-night reporting, all on your screen.“

Preseason videos also available to watch

Top players in Minnesota: The 2025 Preseason Football Dream Team was revealed on video this season. You can watch that show, featuring Shaver and Strib Varsity reporters Jim Paulsen and Marcus Fuller, right here.

Minnesota’s top teams: The 2025 Preseason Minnesota Top 25 rankings were also revealed on video ahead of article-publishing. In this conversation with Shaver, Strib Varsity reporters Paulsen and Cassidy Hettesheimer take you from team 25 to team 1.