NEW EPISODE ALERT – Birdfans4ever 
Episode 83 is LIVE and you don’t want to miss this one!
We sit down with QB Tommy Rittenhouse and WR Daniel Sobkowiscz — two of the key offensive playmakers who helped lead the Redbirds on their incredible run to the FCS Championship Game. 
From their journeys to Illinois State to breaking down the unforgettable 2025 season, these teammates share it all:
 How they found their way to ISU
 Behind-the-scenes stories from a championship-caliber season
 Their perspectives on the biggest games and clutch moments
 What it felt like to compete on th...

🚨 NEW EPISODE 🚨
Hey BirdFans! 🔴⚪️
Episode 82 of Bird Fans 4 Ever is live and we’re joined by former Illinois State guard Elyce Knudsen!
We talk about:
🏀 Her basketball journey from Millikin to Illinois State
🔥 Her playing style and approach to the game
⭐ The first moment at ISU when she realized, “this is Division I basketball”
👀 How watching Paige Robinson helped influence her path to becoming a Redbird
A great conversation looking back at Elyce’s Redbird journey.
🎧 Listen now!
#BirdFans4Ever #BackTheBirds #ISURedbirds

This episode highlights Brian Gant, one of the toughest and most reliable Redbird weak‑side linebackers of the 1980s. The fast, instinctive defenders who could flip momentum with a single play. Together, Gant’s career and the legacy of ISU’s weak‑side linebackers make for another great episode celebrating Redbird football history.

 BirdFans4Ever Podcast #80 is here!

A special one for Redbird fans — Jeff Harris joins the show along with return guest Matt Taphorn from Jon’s playing era!

Jeff dives into how he found his way to ISU, the games that still stick with him, and what it was like when the three-point line arrived during their junior year and changed everything.

You can feel the warmth in this conversation — the stories, the laughs, the memories.

Don’t miss this one, Birds fans  #RollBirds #ISURedbirds #BirdFans4Ever

 Episode 79 is LIVE!

Birdfans4ever Podcast welcomes this week’s guest Jeff Bidwell — Missouri Valley aficionado, host of the brand new podcast Morning in the Valley, and the voice of Murray State Men’s Basketball! In this episode, we dive deep into the Missouri Valley Conference preseason predictions for men’s basketball. Jeff gives us an outsider’s perspective on Illinois State University’s chances this year — why they could win the league… and why they might not.  Jeff also provides a sneak preview of Murray State, from a brand-new coaching staff to a completely retooled roster, and which players...

 BirdFans4Ever Episode 78  We sit down with Chase Walker to talk about his recruiting journey and how he made his way to ISU! Chase shares how he developed his unselfish play, learned to anticipate offenses, and how the coaching staff is helping him grow into his role as a Redbird. We also dive into memorable matchups — including playing against one of his best friends vs. Ohio, plus standout games vs. UIC and Incarnate Word — and relive winning the CBI Championship last year! #BirdFans4Ever #RedbirdHoops #IllinoisState #RollBirds

We’re flying high with Landon Wolf! 🏀 From his days at UNI to the transfer portal and finally landing at Illinois State, Landon shares the inside story—how he first saw ISU and its fans from the other side, the games that still give him chills, and what’s racing through his mind when he throws down a dunk on someone. Plus, we dig into the fire of the Bradley vs. ISU rivalry and how he came to feel its full heat. Listen now and catch every Redbird detail! 🎧

🚨 Bird Fans Forever – Episode 76 🚨

Charles Calhoun II shares his Redbird journey—from being recruited for defense to thriving on the offensive line. He mastered run blocking, protected QBs, and fulfilled a promise to his grandfather by becoming an attorney. 🏈⚖️

🎙️ Birdfans4ever – Episode 75: Brandon Lieb Talks Leadership, Culture, and the Road Ahead 🏀

In this special 75th episode of Birdfans4ever, we’re joined by Brandon Lieb, a graduate student and leader on the Illinois State men’s basketball team.

In this episode, Brandon opens up about:

🎙️ Bird Fans 4 Ever Episode 74 features a true Redbird legend: Dave Schumer, who started all four years from 1986 to 1989 for Illinois State. In this episode, the hosts dive into Schumer’s impressive collegiate career, including:

🎙️ **New Episode Drop – Birdfans4ever Podcast!** 🟥🐦

We’ve got a **special guest** joining us this week — **Landon Moore** is in the building! The hometown favorite and former St. Francis (PA) and Butler guard is bringing his talents back to **Normal** for his final college season with **Illinois State Men’s Basketball**!

In this episode, Landon opens up about:

🏀 Why he chose to finish his career at **ISU**

🧠 What being a **senior leader** means to him and how he’s helping guide the younger Redbirds

🛡️ How playing in the **Big East** sharpened his defensive m...

We’re joined by Trevor Arbogast, founder of @RDB1Media, and Ty Pence, standout player for @redbird_mbb! 

Trevor dives into how and why he launched the go-to blog for all things Illinois State Athletics  And together, he and Ty talk about their awesome new apparel collab — where 75% of profits go straight to the 1998 Club, helping raise NIL $ for the ISU Men’s Basketball team  This one’s for the true BirdFans 

 Listen now — link in bio!

#BirdFans4ever #ISURedbirds #RDB1Media #TyPence #NIL #CollegeHoops #SupportTheSquad #Episode72 #GoBirds

🎙️ BirdFans4Ever Podcast Ep. 71 is LIVE!
We’re joined by @Malachi_P5 to talk:
🔴 His journey to Illinois State
🎯 Chasing the ISU season FT% record
🏆 The Redbirds’ unforgettable CBI run & CHAMPIONSHIP win!
Don’t miss this one! 🔗👇

BirdFans4Ever #RedbirdHoops #RollBirds

We’re soaring into a milestone episode with not one, not two, but three incredible guests from the Illinois State University Gymnastics team! Alana Laster, Jaye Mack, and Sara Wabi are all standout athletes and 2025 NCAA Regional Qualifiers, and they’re joining us to talk about their journey, their season, and what it means to represent ISU on the national stage. Trust us—you don’t want to miss this one. Available now on YouTube and all major platforms.

BirdFans4ever #illinoisstateuniversity #redbirdgymnastics #NCAARegionals

 Bird Fans 4Ever — Episode 69 is live! 

This week’s guest: Brennan White, representing Fly With Us—the Illinois State Women’s Basketball NIL Collective.

We talk NIL, Brennan’s journey to Illinois State, the many facets of his job, and how Fly With Us is changing the game for ISU athletes.

Don’t miss it. #BirdFans4Ever #FlyWithUs #RedbirdNation

We sat down with ISU Men’s Basketball Captain Dalton Banks for one of our most inspiring conversations yet.

After transferring from SIU, Dalton faced a tough but transformational journey — from uncovering a lingering injury to rebuilding his game and mindset.

He opens up about leadership, the winning culture at ISU, and what it meant to go out as a CBI Champion.

This one’s for anyone who believes in comebacks, team culture, and finishing strong.

#Birdfans4everPodcast #ISUMBB #DaltonBanks #CBIChamps #RedbirdNation #CollegeHoops #Leadership

 New Podcast Episode Dropping Now!   In this special episode of BirdFans4Ever, Dan Muller takes us behind the scenes to talk about Shoes That Fit — a charity that’s close to his heart, providing brand-new shoes to kids in need.  Listen as we highlight this incredible cause and how YOU can help make a difference! WWW. shoesthatfit.org #BirdFans4Ever #ShoesThatFit #RedbirdNation #GiveBack

We’re flying high with 2025 Redbird commit Tyreek Coleman on this episode!
Illinois 1st Team All-State guard Tyreek talks about his journey to becoming a Redbird, what made Illinois State University the right fit, and how he brings lockdown defense, deadly 3s, and elite playmaking to the court! Don’t miss his full recruiting story! ️️

 3&D GUARD ALERT!
Roll Birds!!

#Birdfans4ever #RedbirdBasketball #ISU #TyreekColeman

New Episode Alert! 🎙️🔥We’re joined by none other than Mason Klabo – Illinois State basketball recruit 🏀, 2025 North Dakota Mr. Basketball 🏆, and the all-time leading scorer in ND Class A/AA boys basketball history 📈! We talk legacy, the recruiting journey, and what’s next as he gets ready to rep the Redbirds 🟥🐦 Don’t miss Episode 65! 🎧 #Birdfans4ever #RedbirdNation #ISURedbirds #MasonKlabo #NDSports #MrBasketball

NEW MUSIC DROP
We’re “Kickin’ up with Redbird Nation” to celebrate 3 YEARS of the Birdfans4ever Podcast!

This anthem’s for the fans, the plays, and the passion of Redbird Athletics – hosted by ISU alums Jon Pemberton, Jon Diener & Steve Thate.

Stream it. Share it. REP THAT RED.

#Birdfans4ever #KickinUpWithRedbirdNation #RedbirdNation #RedbirdPride #ISUAlumni #RedbirdAthletics

Episode #64 of the Bird Fans 4 Ever Podcast is live! 

This week, Jay McGee & Michael Rigsby from the 1998 Club, Illinois State Men’s Basketball NIL Collective, discuss their involvement and how YOU can support the Redbirds.  Listen now! @Redbird_MBB #GoRedbirds #BF4E #Bird

 New Episode Alert!  BirdFans4Ever Episode 63 is LIVE!  and  Dive into the world of Redbirds NIL with this week’s special guests, Jason Higdon and former MBB player Matt Coats, as they break down the Empower the Nest initiative!  Tune in to learn how Empower the Nest is making a difference for Redbirds student-athletes.  Listen now: https://youtu.be/OJkARpij-lk

 Like and follow Empower the Nest on Facebook & Instagram for more updates! www.epowerthenest.com

#BirdFans4Ever #RedbirdsNIL #EmpowerTheNest #GoRedbirds #ISU #bf4e

🚨 New Episode of #BF4E! 🚨
This week on Bird Fans 4 Ever, we’re joined by Illinois State Redbirds recruit Isaac Ericksen! 🦅
🎙️ Isaac talks about how he got to ISU, his game on the court, and his experience interacting with other recruits during his visit.
Don’t miss it! 🔴🏀

#RedbirdNation #ISURecruit #Basketball #Redbird_mbb

Bird Fans 4 Ever Episode 61 Coach Tim Jankovich – Dick Luedke joins in our interview of Coach Jankovich, How he got to ISU, Jackie’s “shot”, the need to recruit over Dinma? Why does BF4E want to talk about the rough stories?

Bird Fans 4 Ever Episode 60 Nick Allen 2024 Redbird Recruit Nick Allen – How he got to ISU recruiting story. Nick and Tyreek, who recruited whom? Nick lays out his assessment of his own game.

Bird Fans 4 Ever Episode 59 Coach Jason Slay – How he got to ISU and his playing days. Redbird Schedule Preview, Player updates and outlook. Great season preview.

Bird Fans 4 Ever – Episode 58 -Jackie Carmichael – How he got to ISU, Daily practice (pummeling) vs Dinma, NIT run Junior Year, Career defining moments, “The Shot”, Designing uniforms senior year. @Jackie_Car32

BF4E Episode 56 Coach Steve Paska During his 30 years at Illinois State, head swimming and diving coach Steve Paska has led his team to five Midwest Independent titles, five Gateway Conference Championships, three National Independent Championships and one Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) crown.

Bird Fans 4 Ever Episode 57 Julie Mueller Paska: Julie earned Second-Team All-America honors as a ISU Volleyball player her senior year, an All-Gateway selection from 1982-1984, and she led the Redbirds to conference titles and NCAA tournament berths all three seasons. A banner honoring Julie hangs in Redbird Arena and she is an ISU’s Athletics Percy Family Hall of Fame member.

BF4E Ep 55 – @KurtPegler tells us how he got to ISU, TV10, and WMBD. He recollects great Redbird teams, Horton Fieldhouse, and encounters with Carlton Fisk and Arnold Palmer. He tells us the difference in prep and doing football & basketball while staying neutral.

Bird Fans 4 Ever Podcast Episode 54 Kendall Lewis. Kendall recalls how he got to ISU, talks about the coaching change, discusses some of his favorite games, and reveals his post-graduation plans. He also provides some thoughts on NIL and the portal. Also see if he can pass Coach Judson’s pop quiz. @Redbird_MBB
@kenlew32 @coachrjud.

BF4E Ep 53 – Bob Bender – How he got to ISU and how he constructed his staff. So much❤️ for ISU the entire episode. Working with seniors from previous staff. MVC tourney in Normal, ISU vs Michigan in NCAA.

Bird Fans 4 Ever Episode 52 – Our guests Jenny (Kabbes) Fuente ’98 – 02 and Emily (Kabbes) Kauten ’02 – 05 are the only sisters to have played Volleyball together for ISU. Jenny is a ’23 Percy Family Hall of Fame inductee. Hear about playing Stanford in front of the largest crowd (5,641) at RBA and other stories.

Bird Fans 4 Ever Podcast Episode 51 Gene Jontry – How Gene got to ISU, Playing for both the A and B teams and high scoring vs WIU. The 66 year record holder discloses keys to FT shooting and how he helped a very young Jon P be awarded an extended set of line drills!

Bird Fans 4 Ever Podcast Episode 50 – RB4L Derrick Sanders – How he got to ISU, Recruitment competition with Bradley and Dick Versace, Career at ISU, Playing professionally in the US and then moving down under.

Bird Fans 4 Ever Episode 49 Paige Robinson Path to Drury, the portal to D1 and ISU, transition from D2 to D1, Who takes Paige’s role on current team? Hearing her name during the WNBA draft. Battling injuries and what’s next for Paige

Bird Fans 4 Ever Podcast Episode 48 Beth Landes-Ehresman – Academic All-American, Softball and Basketball letter winner talks playing with 2 Olympians, being ‘kidnapped’ and 41 point outing vs. JMU.

Bird Fans 4 Ever Podcast Episode 47 Dr Jill Hutchison Former ISU coach discusses the transition from Title IX to AIWA to NCAA, Gateway Conference, recruiting changes ’70-’90s, and best basketball ERA for ISU

Cindy Gate, ISU Tailgating, ISU Homecoming, History lesson, Podcasting from Cindy Gate.

BF4E: Episode 45 – Empower the Nest – How the Collective was established. Empower the Nest branded beer – How it came to be and where to find it. What is the MBB Center Court Club and how can fans participate?