Elise Menaker is an American sports host, reporter, and analyst best known for Cubs coverage on Marquee Sports Network and work on Big Ten Network. She became the first woman to serve as a television analyst for a Cubs game in 2022 and the first woman to serve as a radio analyst for a Cubs game in 2023. She is based in the Chicago area and works for Marquee Sports Network.
Elise Menaker’s bio at a glance
| Fact | Details |
| Full Name | Elise Lauren Menaker |
| Gender | Female |
| Date of Birth | October 26 (year Not publicly available) |
| Age | Late 30s (estimated) as of November 2026 |
| Place of Birth | Not publicly available |
| Hometown | Wilmette, Illinois, United States |
| Current Residence | Chicago area, Illinois, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | Not publicly available |
| Zodiac Sign | Scorpio |
| Religion | Not publicly available |
| Sexual Orientation | Not publicly available |
| Height | 5 ft 7 in (170 cm) (estimated) |
| Weight | Not publicly available |
| Hair Colour | Dark brown (visual estimate) |
| Eye Colour | Brown (visual estimate) |
| Marital Status | Not publicly available |
| Spouse / Partner | Not publicly available |
| Children | Not publicly available |
| High School | New Trier High School |
| Alma Mater | Cornell University; Northwestern University |
| Degree | BA Communications (2010); MSJ (2011) |
| Profession | Sports host, reporter, analyst |
| Employer | Marquee Sports Network; Big Ten Network |
| Net Worth | Not publicly available |
| Social Media | Instagram: @elisemenaker | X: @EliseMenaker |
Who is Elise Menaker?
Elise Menaker is an American sports host, reporter, and analyst. She works for Marquee Sports Network, the television home of the Chicago Cubs, and for Big Ten Network, where she hosts studio shows, reports from sidelines, and analyzes softball.
Her on-air work covers the Cubs from the field and from the studio, and her game analyst work draws on her Cornell playing career and her short professional softball career in Sweden.
Readers who follow sports television may also like our profile of Taryn Hatcher, an American sports reporter and television host.
How old is Elise Menaker? Age and Birthday
Elise Menaker is in her late 30s as of November 2026. Her birthday falls on October 26, and her birth year is not publicly available.
Her Cornell timeline points to that age range. She played softball at Cornell from 2007 to 2010 and graduated in 2010, and she marked her birthday on October 26, 2026, with a photo on her own social media page.
How tall is Elise Menaker? Height, weight and appearance
Elise Menaker stands 5 ft 7 in (170 cm) tall, based on published estimates. Her height figure is listed as an estimate in the profile table above.
Her weight is not publicly available. She has dark brown hair and brown eyes, based on a visual estimate from her Marquee studio photos.
Elise Menaker’s career
Cornell softball career
Menaker was a four-year starter for Cornell softball from 2007 to 2010. She was a three-time first-team All-Ivy selection, and she left Cornell with the school career record for doubles, with 53.
Her full Cornell stat line shows why she ranks among the best players in school history. She hit .363 with 37 home runs, 188 runs batted in, and 156 runs scored, and she also earned academic honors during her college career.
Cornell won two Ivy League titles during her four seasons, and the team reached the NCAA tournament in that span. She was later inducted into the Cornell Athletics Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2020, with the induction ceremony held in September 2022.
After her 2010 graduation, Menaker played professional softball in Sweden for the Skövde Saints. She then returned to the United States to train for a career in broadcasting.
Education and early broadcasting
Menaker attended New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois, where she played softball. She then attended Cornell University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communications in 2010.
She later earned a Master of Science in Journalism from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism in 2011. She also trained in improvisation and sketch writing at The Second City Conservatory in Chicago.
Her early broadcasting work included general assignment reporting at KMIZ-TV in Columbia, Missouri, from January 2011. She also worked as an anchor and reporter at WAND-TV in Decatur, Illinois, and as a sports anchor and reporter at TMJ4 in Milwaukee.
Marquee Sports Network and Big Ten Network
Menaker joined Big Ten Network in 2017 as a studio host, football and basketball sideline reporter, and softball analyst. She still holds those roles alongside her Cubs work.
She joined Marquee Sports Network in February 2020, when the network launched. She started as a field reporter and studio host, and she also hosted Road to Wrigley, the network’s minor league show.
In June 2021, Marquee named her lead color analyst for Iowa Cubs games, alongside play-by-play broadcaster Alex Cohen. Her first game analyst assignment with Marquee began on June 10, 2021.
She was part of the Road to Wrigley team that won a Chicago/Midwest Regional Emmy Award in 2023 for sports single program or series.
In the 2025 season, she returned as a field reporter for Chicago Cubs broadcasts.
Career timeline
- 2010: Graduated from Cornell University and played professional softball in Sweden.
- February 2020: Joined Marquee Sports Network at its launch as a field reporter and studio host.
- June 10, 2021: Began as lead color analyst for Iowa Cubs games, alongside Alex Cohen.
- August 27, 2021: Served on the second-ever all-woman MLB broadcast team, for Cubs vs. White Sox.
- September 2022: Inducted into the Cornell Athletics Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2020.
- July 7, 2024: Served as game analyst for the first all-female broadcast in Chicago Cubs history.
- October 2026: Covered Cubs postseason road games and marked her birthday on October 26, 2026.
What made the July 7, 2024 Cubs broadcast historic?
On July 7, 2024, Marquee Sports Network televised the first all-female broadcast in Chicago Cubs history. Beth Mowins called play-by-play, Menaker served as game analyst, and Taylor McGregor worked as field reporter for the Cubs game against the Los Angeles Angels.
The broadcast was a first for the Cubs on television. Menaker had already broken ground for the team, as the first woman to serve as a television analyst for a Cubs game in 2022 and the first woman to serve as a radio analyst for a Cubs game in 2023.
Menaker had also been part of an earlier all-woman MLB broadcast team. On August 27, 2021, she joined Melanie Newman and Alanna Rizzo for a Cubs game against the White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field, the second-ever all-woman MLB broadcast team.
What is Elise Menaker’s net worth and salary?
Elise Menaker’s net worth is not publicly available.
Net worth
Elise Menaker’s net worth is not publicly available. No contract figure or verified wealth total for her has been published, and online estimates for her wealth conflict with each other.
Her wealth rests on a long run in sports television, with two network roles held at once for years.
Salary
Her salary is not publicly available. Marquee Sports Network and Big Ten Network do not publish pay for on-air talent, and no personal salary figure for her has been confirmed.
A widely repeated salary figure online is a generic average for journalists in the United States. It is not a personal pay figure for Menaker, and it is not used in this profile.
Income sources
Menaker earns from her Marquee Sports Network hosting, reporting, and analyst work. She also earns from her Big Ten Network studio hosting, sideline reporting, and softball analyst work.
Her earlier income came from local television roles in Missouri, Illinois, and Wisconsin.
Is Elise Menaker married?
Elise Menaker’s marital status is not publicly available.
No public record confirms a husband or a wedding for Menaker. Her public pages focus on her broadcasting work, her Cubs coverage, and her family, and they do not announce a partner.
Wedding photos on her social media pages celebrate the weddings of her friends. Those posts have caused confusion online, but they are not posts about her own wedding.
Children
Menaker’s children, if any, are not publicly available. No confirmed public record gives a child count for her, and this profile does not use unverified online claims about her family life.
Family
Menaker’s father is Edward Menaker, a former minor league baseball player in the Baltimore Orioles organization. Her mother is Pam Menaker.
She has an older sister, Michelle, and a younger brother, Mark. Her family grew up in the Chicago area, and trips to Wrigley Field with her family shaped her early love for the Cubs.
What is Elise Menaker doing in 2026?
In 2026, Menaker worked through the Cubs season as a field reporter, studio host, and analyst for Marquee Sports Network. She also kept her Big Ten Network roles during the college sports calendar.
On June 5, 2026, she took part in a Marquee segment on Fergie Jenkins and the 2026 Cubs. On June 6, 2026, she joined Cliff Floyd for Cubs Postgame Live after the Cubs beat the San Francisco Giants.
In July 2026, she interviewed Alex Bregman on July 12 and Jacob Webb on July 19 for Marquee. Those interviews came during the All-Star break and the second half of the Cubs season.
On August 31, 2026, she joined Taylor McGregor to sing the seventh-inning stretch on Girls Night Out at Wrigley Field. In September and October 2026, she covered Cubs postseason road games at Petco Park and Fenway Park, and she worked from Wrigley Field during the same stretch.
On October 26, 2026, she marked her birthday with a photo on her own Instagram page. Marquee Sports Network then wished her a happy birthday in a public post on October 27, 2026.
Elise Menaker’s social media presence
As of November 2026, Elise Menaker has 14,864 followers on Instagram under @elisemenaker, with 1,397 accounts followed.
Her recent Instagram posts track her 2026 Cubs work closely. Her September and October 2026 posts show her at Wrigley Field, Petco Park, and Fenway Park, with Marquee microphones in hand, and her August 31, 2026, post shows the Girls Night Out seventh-inning stretch with Taylor McGregor.
On X, she has 15,500 followers under @EliseMenaker, with 1,710 accounts followed and 10,300 posts. Her recent X posts in late September and early October 2026 covered the Cubs Wild Card roster, the Anthony Rizzo Foundation golf scramble, and player videos from the final weeks of the season.
Quick facts about Elise Menaker
- Spring game pass April 2021: in April 2021, she threw a completed two-point conversion pass as a Big Ten Network reporter at the Illinois spring game.
- Bears Postgame Live host: in October and November 2023, she hosted The Official Bears Postgame Live on Marquee Sports Network.
- New Trier senior MVP .356: as a senior at New Trier, she was team MVP and hit .356.
- Varsity tennis at New Trier: at New Trier, she also played varsity tennis from her sophomore year through her senior year.
- 3.74 GPA at Cornell: at Cornell, she held a 3.74 grade point average in communications.
- 204 Cornell games played: at Cornell, she played in 204 games across her four softball seasons.
- Bombski means home run: her X bio defines Bombski as a home run.
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FAQs
How old is Elise Menaker?
Late 30s. Her birthday falls on October 26, and her birth year is not publicly available.
Is Elise Menaker married?
Not publicly confirmed. No public record confirms a husband or a wedding for her.
Who is Elise Menaker’s husband?
None publicly confirmed. Her marital status is not publicly available.
What is Elise Menaker’s net worth?
Not publicly available. No verified wealth total for her has been published.
What does Elise Menaker do now?
Marquee and Big Ten Network host. She reports, hosts, and analyzes Cubs and college sports coverage.
Final word on Elise Menaker
Elise Menaker turned a record-setting Cornell softball career into a long run in Chicago sports television. Her firsts for the Cubs, her Iowa Cubs analyst work, and her dual-network role show a broadcaster who still works at the center of the game. She now covers the Cubs for Marquee Sports Network and hosts and reports for Big Ten Network.
References
- Cornell University Athletics. Elise Menaker Hall of Fame.
- Cornell University Athletics. Thirteen Make Up Cornell Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2020.
- Marquee Sports Network. Elise Menaker Inducted Into Cornell Athletics Hall of Fame.
- Marquee Sports Network. Marquee Sports Network Adds New On-Air Personalities.
- Marquee Sports Network. Elise Menaker to Serve as Lead Analyst for Iowa Cubs Games.
- Barrett Media. Marquee Sports Network to Televise First All-Female Broadcast in Chicago Cubs History.
- Boardroom. MLB Network Rizzo Newman Menaker.
- Reel Chicago. 65th Annual Chicago/Midwest Emmy Awards Winners.
- Marquee Sports Network. Elise Menaker Archives.
- Instagram. Elise Menaker.
- X. Elise Menaker.
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