It’s safe to say that Chris Tsakonas JMS‘22, has more than enough experience in the sports media field to help him succeed after he graduates this May.

During the years he’s been an undergraduate student majoring in Journalism and Media Studies at SC&I, Tsakonas has also held multiple positions at Rutgers in the sports journalism field.

"My roles at WRSU have done a great job of preparing me for the sports broadcasting industry. In my current role, I am hosting the New York City FC halftime and postgame studio reports for the New York City FC Radio Network." 

He is the sports director at the Rutgers radio station WRSU 88.7FM (a position he has held for two years); he is the men’s lacrosse reporter at The Daily Targum; he works with WRSU Broadcast Administrator and SC&I Part-Time Faculty Member Mike Pavlichko on the Central Jersey Sports Radio covering high school football, basketball, baseball, and more; and he works with Rutgers Women’s Soccer Coach Glenn Crooks on halftime coverage of the NYCFC Radio  soccer broadcasts. 

Outside of Rutgers, he sometimes works with radio host Gordon Deal SC&I’89 on America’s First News show, “This Morning with Gordon Deal.”

Read more about Chris’s experiences with SC&I, his post-grad plans, and his advice for other soon-to-be graduates in our Q&A below.

SC&I: What are your favorite parts about being a Sports Director for WRSU? What is the position like? 

CT: My favorite part of the sports director job is being able to help coordinate the coverage for so many big Rutgers athletics events. Since I took over, I've been lucky to be able to cover NCAA tournaments in men's and women's basketball, women's soccer, and men's lacrosse. The position is a combination of my on-air roles of play by play, production, and interviewing with organizing our coverage, scheduling interviews, scheduling producers and announcers and requesting credentials for road games.

SC&I: Are there any faculty members/professors you’ve had that have made a particular impact on you?

CT: Mike Pavlichko is our faculty advisor and a professor at SC&I, where he taught my Broadcast Writing and Reporting class my sophomore year. He's been a great resource, providing advice on how to improve our sports coverage using his 20+ years of experience covering high school and college sports at WCTC and Central Jersey Sports Radio.

SC&I: Have any of your roles prepared you for the career you are pursuing in sports media?

CT: My roles at WRSU have done a great job of preparing me for the sports broadcasting industry. In my current role, I am hosting the New York City FC halftime and postgame studio reports for the New York City FC Radio Network. The format and delivery of the report is similar to the halftime shows we've done for our Rutgers football coverage. My writing and editing skills are utilized heavily at my other job, where I freelance for This Morning, America's First News, a syndicated news show hosted by Rutgers/WRSU alum Gordon Deal. Finally, I do play by play for Central Jersey Sports Radio on a freelance basis, utilizing the skills I honed calling Rutgers games.

SC&I: What advice would you give to your peers who are also graduating soon? Is there anything you’ve learned from Rutgers/SC&I/in general that you will take with you when you graduate?

CT: My advice for my peers would be to make the most of the opportunities that you're offered at Rutgers and at SC&I. Going to class and doing your schoolwork is obviously important, but at the end of the day, you need experience and internships to prove to an employer in this industry that you're the right person for the job. If you get involved early and often and leverage that into internships, you'll be on track to succeed when you leave.

Learn more about the Journalism and Media Studies major on the Rutgers School of Communication and Information website.

Photo: Courtesy of Chris Tsakonas JMS‘22