September 29, 2026 | Kelly Youngblood
College of Media students recently visited two Chicago professional sports organizations—the Cubs and the Bears—to gain firsthand insight into the sports media industry.
Four students, who work on the UI7 Newsroom’s hockey production team, got a behind-the-scenes look at live television production during a visit with the crew behind Chicago Cubs broadcasts on September 13.
Kenneth Erdey, technical coordinator for broadcast operations in the Department of Journalism, said opportunities like these are invaluable in helping students understand the realities of the industry, build professional connections, and envision future careers in sports media.
“Much like getting newsroom experiences, finding time to take students to anything significant sports-related is a way for Media students interested in sports to network, see the work, and get inspired,” Erdey said.
Erdey took Emily Burciaga, junior in journalism; Nate Miller, junior in political science; Alex Mrazek, junior in media and cinema studies; and Tyler Schiavone, sophomore in journalism, to Wrigley Field to tour Marquee Sports Network’s live production truck, watch the pregame show, and three innings of live game coverage. Marquee Sports Network is the official TV and streaming home of Cubs baseball.
“It was such a unique event, and I am grateful to the Cubs game producer Mike Leary, and his crew at Marquee Sports Network for allowing our students to have such a great experience,” Erdey said.
The trip helped inspire students for their Illinois hockey coverage on Power Play, which airs this semester on Fridays at 6:45 p.m. on cable channel UI7 beginning September 25. Recorded broadcasts are available to watch on UI7 Newsroom’s Roku channel as well as their Facebook page.
“This was an incredible experience that showed me what this field legitimately looks like alongside how it functions,” Mrazek said. “As exciting as a game can be to watch, the narrative told by the production team is what can elevate the viewing experience to the next level.”
In addition, three UI7 Newsroom students attended the Chicago Bears’ second annual Celebrating Women and Girls in Sports Day on August 8, where they connected with and learned from women working in sports media.
As part of the event, Burciaga, along with Grace Robertson, sophomore in LAS, and Evy York, junior in journalism, attended the Chicago Bears’ training camp. They also had the opportunity to talk with women working in sports media in Chicago, including two Media alumni—Cassie Carlson (BS ’17, journalism), sports anchor at Fox 32 Chicago, and Gabby Hajduk (BS ’22, journalism), sports journalist for the Chicago Bears organization.
(Photos courtesy of Kenneth Erdey.)
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