Standing on the sideline at a Northwestern Football game, Jared Thomas '20 is a natural host.
As Northwestern Football’s Director of External Relations and Alumni Engagement, the former All-Big Ten offensive lineman is one of the faces of the program for alumni and members of the University community looking to stay involved with the Wildcats.
"It's a role that's rooted in being a guy who's lived the Northwestern experience," Thomas said. "And it's coupled with some of the cool career opportunities that I've had since I’ve been gone."
Before returning to the Wildcats, Thomas spent time as a broadcaster with Big Ten Network, where he put his Medill education to use as a football analyst on BTN.
Thomas worked as a studio production intern with BTN during his senior season at Northwestern and earned a spot with the network's B1G Experience cohort in 2023. During a five-year professional football career, Thomas found opportunities to hone his broadcasting skills and spent time during the offseason getting back into the booth.
"It's one of those things that you think you're really good at before you do it for the first time," Thomas said. "And then when you see yourself start to improve as a broadcaster, you're like 'Man, it was great that I had all that confidence, but I've come a long way.' It was an unbelievable experience and one of my goals was always to get on the network."
In 2024, Thomas finally got his opportunity. BTN assigned him to call Northwestern Football’s home opener against Miami (Ohio) alongside Lisa Byington, another former Wildcat student-athlete, and the play-by-play voice of the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks.
The matchup carried added significance in Evanston, as the first game at Northwestern’s temporary lakefront football stadium, Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium. It also marked the beginning of David Braun's first full season as head coach of the Wildcats.
During the customary meeting between TV broadcasters and head coaches the week of the Miami game, Thomas had his first opportunity to sit down with his future boss.
"It felt like I had known him my whole life," Thomas said. "You could see very quickly that he was the right man for the job. Great football mind, very genuine person, but deep down he's one of the fiercest competitors that I have ever met. The program is definitely led by the right person and I felt back that way back in 2024 during that first conversation.”
This season, BTN assigned Thomas to call another Northwestern game with Byington, the season opener between the Wildcats and South Dakota State. When the September 5th matchup kicked off on the lakefront, Thomas was in attendance. Just not in the booth.
Northwestern Football announced the week before the 2026 season began that Thomas had rejoined the program and to lead alumni engagement for Braun and the Wildcats.
"It's a situation that's probably more unique to talk about than it was to actually experience," Thomas said. "Everyone at BTN was very supportive and the demand to call a game on the network is very high, so those broadcasting opportunities are like gold."
Former Minnesota quarterback Tanner Morgan filled in for Thomas in BTN broadcast of Northwestern’s season-opening win against the Jackrabbits.
“I played against Tanner in college so I’m used to watching him compete from the other sideline, but he did a great job,” Thomas said. “And then obviously I love Lisa dearly and had a chance to speak with both of them when they were in Evanston on Friday before our game.”
Even in the wild world of college football, not many TV personalities have joined a team's coaching staff just weeks after preparing to broadcast one of their games. But there aren't many TV personalities with Thomas' experience and deep connection to Northwestern.
“So much of being an alum is about being proud of a program when you leave,” he said. “But it’s also about using the things you learned here, all those resources and tools, and learning how to apply them in real life. So, speaking with alums who are doing big things in the world and then bringing them back to campus has been the coolest part of my job.”