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Illinois Football
Big Ten Football
Major League Baseball
Tom Jones Challenger League
Transfer Portal
Illinois Women's Basketball
Big Ten Conference
NCAA
Olympics
College Sports
NIL
Big Ten
Scholarship Limits
Baltimore Orioles
Illinois
Big Ten Media Days
NIL Deals
Realignment
Illinois Big Ten Football
Paris Olympics

A daily look at the latest in sports, mostly focused on the Illini. A variety of guests join the program, and the News-Gazette sportswriters make Mondays their own.

PublishesDailyEpisodes300Founded9 years ago
Number of ListenersCategory
Sports

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Artwork for SportsTalk

Latest Episodes

Illinois men's gymnastics coach Daniel Ribeiro drops by to chat about the upcoming NCAA men's gymnastics championships at State Farm Center.

Illinois men's basketball assistant coach Zach Hamer and strength coach Adam Fletcher join The News-Gazette sports writers at Esquire Lounge.

Joey Wright, Evan Conn and Bob Asmussen discuss the latest in Illini spring football, as well as the men's basketball offseason.

Peter McFarland drops by to chat about the upcoming CU Kiwanis Little League season, and Joe Vozzelli breaks down the start of the Illinois women's basketball team's offseason.

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Accepts Sponsors
Contact Information
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Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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Recent Guests

Peter McFarland
From First String Little League
First String Little League
Episode: Peter McFarland & Joe Vozzelli | 4-9-26
Phoenix Molina
State Champion wrestler
Unity Rockets
Episode: Unity Rockets | 3-30-26
Dane Eisenmenger
Unity Rockets captain, athlete
Unity Rockets
Episode: Unity Rockets | 3-30-26
Cameron Wagner
High school football prospect, St. Joseph-Ogden (IL) offensive lineman
St. Joseph-Ogden High School
Episode: Cameron Wagner | 3-9-26
Craig Anderson
Executive Director of the IHSA
Illinois High School Association (IHSA)
Episode: Loren Tate, Craig Anderson & Lee Hall | 3-10-26
Lee Hall
IHSA broadcast commentator with extensive experience in state finals
IHSA broadcast team
Episode: Loren Tate, Craig Anderson & Lee Hall | 3-10-26
Josh Nilsson
Head coach, Illinois Women's Gymnastics
University of Illinois
Episode: Illinois Gymnastics | 3-2-26
Aaliyah Byrne
Women's gymnastics athlete
University of Illinois
Episode: Illinois Gymnastics | 3-2-26
Chloe Cho
Women's gymnastics athlete
University of Illinois
Episode: Illinois Gymnastics | 3-2-26

Hosts

Joey Wright
Host of Sports Talk on the News-Gazette WDWS and related sports desk programs; frequent panelist and lead host on Illinois sports conversations.
Evan Conn
Host of SportsTalk; regular co-host on local sports programs, covers Illinois basketball and broader Illinois sports topics.
Matt Daniels
Sports writer/host contributing to local sports programming; part of the Esquire Lounge and related show formats.
Bob Asmussen
Co-host and contributor on SportsTalk; provides analytical takes on Illinois basketball and football.
Loren Tate
Host/Co-host on Sports Talk; long-running presence in Illinois sports broadcasting.

Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars from 21 ratings
  • Great content, questionable audio quality

    As a long time Illini football season ticket holder, living outside CU, I greatly appreciate this podcast. I give the content an A grade, but the production (and this is true for each and every WDWS podcast) a C grade. Feedback, over modulation and callers that you can’t hear are a constant and definitely a problem.

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    illinidodgers
    United States3 years ago
  • Terrific Show

    Fantastic post game show, very capable house, Scott, Evan, Trent. Terrific regular callers including Steve from Peoria. Does tend to attract some Negative Normans who like the sound of their own complaints, but they quickly crawl back into their cracks when the light comes out on Illini wins.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Erebiz
    United States5 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Guests and topics are engaging, with a clear focus on local teams and events.
The banter and expertise from hosts create an authentic, community-driven vibe.
Listeners appreciate in-depth Illinois sports context and insider perspectives.
Coverage of NIL and governance adds timely, relevant angles for sponsors and guests.
Production quality varies; audio sometimes falls short of the strong content.

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Scott Richey, Mark Coomes | 4-8-26
Q: What was your assessment of Illinois' season and Final Four run?
Mark Coomes: It was exciting, the Big Ten was strong at the top, and Illinois had a competitive, high-energy run that showcased growth and strong guard development, even as they faced questions about future roster moves.
Scott Richey, Kedric Prince | 3-25-26
Q: Kedric, what kind of game do you look for? What are some of the keys in your mind coming up tomorrow night?
Kedric highlights the importance of a physical, disciplined approach, exploiting matchups, and relying on a few players to step up while Illinois minimizes mistakes and keeps the game within reach, particularly focusing on how to manage Houston's athleticism and strength.
Loren Tate, Craig Anderson & Lee Hall | 3-10-26
Q: What have you learned about the state tournament after five years back at State Farm Center, and how has the event evolved?
Anderson explains structural changes, ongoing schedule tweaks, feedback-driven adjustments through a basketball advisory committee, and the importance of the local partnership with Champaign County in delivering a high-quality student-athlete experience.
Loren Tate, Craig Anderson & Lee Hall | 3-10-26
Q: Craig, what's the work here today, tomorrow, and the last-second preparations to get things ready?
Anderson describes a complex, multi-part operation with press conferences, accommodations, and video enhancements, emphasizing careful coordination, and staffing to ensure a smooth IHSA state finals experience.
T.J. Wheeler | 2-23-26
Q: How does TJ. Wheeler watch an Illinois game at home?
He prefers to watch from home to avoid distractions and expresses how he often yells at the players and coaches during games.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
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Frequently Asked Questions About SportsTalk

What is SportsTalk about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This show centers on Illinois sports across high school, college, and professional levels, with a strong emphasis on local teams, athletes, and events. Episodes typically mix game previews and recaps with guest insights from players, coaches, journalists, and broadcasters who cover Illinois athletics, plus live takes on NIL, governance, recruiting, and big matchups. A recurring strength is in-depth local context, insider perspectives, and lively game-day energy that appeals to fans, recruiters, and sponsors focused on the Illini scene and Midwest college sports.

Noteworthy angles include behind-the-scenes recruitment journeys, governance and scheduling decisions affecting prep and collegiate athletics, and unique event coverage like in-are... more

Where can I find podcast stats for SportsTalk?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for SportsTalk. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to SportsTalk and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does SportsTalk get?

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What are the audience demographics for SportsTalk?

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How many subscribers and views does SportsTalk have?

To see how many followers or subscribers SportsTalk has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

How many episodes of SportsTalk are there?

SportsTalk launched 9 years ago and published 300 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact SportsTalk?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for SportsTalk?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for SportsTalk from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

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What guests have appeared on SportsTalk?

Recent guests on SportsTalk include:

1. Peter McFarland
2. Phoenix Molina
3. Dane Eisenmenger
4. Cameron Wagner
5. Craig Anderson
6. Lee Hall
7. Josh Nilsson
8. Aaliyah Byrne

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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