The Champaign Room wants YOU to join our team!

The Champaign Room is planning its coverage for the 2026-27 athletic seasons, and you can join us!

In order to continue making TCR the best place on the Internet for free Illinois Fighting Illini coverage, analysis and discussion, we’re expanding our staff.

We’re happy to talk with anyone interested in contributing to the site, whether you’re a current University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign student or a Fighting Illini fan who has a passion for the Illini!

We have a lot of different jobs that we want your help on! Those jobs include:

• We’re looking for aspiring student-journalists to cover Illinois Football, Men’s Basketball and Women’s Basketball as a credentialed reporter. That means YOU are asking questions to Illinois’ players and coaches and reporting on them on a regular basis.
• We’re also looking for columnists to cover those sports AND/OR recruiting.
• We also love adding those who have a passion for non-revenue sports coverage.
• Social media content producers and/or photographers.

Here’s what we’re looking for in potential staff members:

• Ability to write, research, and develop story ideas.
• Comfort using social media to find story ideas, engage with readers, and promote TCR content on Facebook, X/Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, Discord, etc.
• Passion for Illinois Athletics.
• Ability to meet mutually agreed-upon deadlines.

Some of our positions are paid!

If your background and experience don’t perfectly align with every single thing we’re looking for — but you believe you have the potential to thrive in a role — we encourage you to apply.

If you have a journalism or writing background, that’s awesome. If not, that’s fine, too. If you’re passionate and knowledgeable about Illinois Athletics and interested in helping, we’ll work to find a role for you.

So you’re interested?! Here’s what you need to do:

• Send an email to TCR Site Manager Stephen Cohn (stephencohntv@gmail.com).

• If you’re interested in being a reporter/columnist:

  • Send a writing sample (preferably about the Fighting Illini) in the style of something you’d find on our website.
  • And a resume (or short essay of why you’re interested).

• If you’re interested in being a contributor on social media:

  • Send any relevant original created content.
  • And a resume (or short essay of why you’re interested).

• If you’re interested in being a TCR staff photographer:

  • Send sample work (photos and/or videos).
  • And a resume (or short essay of why you’re interested).

Just this year alone, we sent credentialed writers/columnists/photographers to:

• Music City Bowl in Nashville
• Big Ten Media Days in Chicago
• Big Ten Tournament in Chicago
• Sweet 16/Elite Eight in Houston
• Final Four in Indianapolis
• And so many more amazing places!

Come help us make one of the best Illinois Fighting Illini sites on the web even better!

This is an ongoing application process (with a cutoff of mid-July).

If you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me via email or X/Twitter!

— Stephen Cohn

X/Twitter: @stephen__cohn

The Champaign Room Site Manager