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Elise Menaker’s net worth is an estimated $1 million as of July 2026. Most of it comes from two broadcasting jobs held at once. She covers the Chicago Cubs for Marquee Sports Network, and she works as a host, sideline reporter and softball analyst for Big Ten Network. She isn’t publicly married. Based on her reported birth date of October 26, 1988, she’s 37. Below you’ll find how she earns, how she got from an Ivy League softball diamond to Wrigley Field‘s broadcast booth — and what’s actually verifiable off camera.
Editor’s note — Adam Reed
Before signing off on this profile, I reviewed her Cornell Athletics roster and record-book pages. I also went through the MLB.com hiring announcement, Chicago Tribune and Des Moines Register reporting, and years of her public posts. My rule is simple: only numbers with a first-hand paper trail get stated as fact. Everything else is labelled an estimate. What surprised me most while researching? A broadcaster’s pay is far less public than the athletes they cover. So where the trail ends — her exact salary, her contracts — I say so plainly instead of guessing.
Elise Menaker at a glance
Who is Elise Menaker?
Elise Menaker is an American sports journalist and broadcaster from the United States who wears more hats than most people in the business. On Marquee Sports Network she hosts Chicago Cubs pre- and post-game coverage and works as a host, reporter and analyst. On Big Ten Network she handles football sideline reporting, softball analysis and studio hosting.
What separates her from most studio hosts? She played the game at a high level first. She was an All-Ivy League infielder at Cornell University and later played professional softball in Sweden. Only then did she train as a journalist at Northwestern University‘s Medill School. That mix — athlete’s instincts plus reporter’s discipline — is the foundation of her on-air style. She even studied improv at The Second City in Chicago. That explains the quick wit you’ll notice during live broadcasts.
One thing worth knowing if you came here from a search: as of this writing there is no dedicated Wikipedia biography for Elise Menaker. The reliable public record lives in her Cornell Athletics profile, her network bios and her own verified accounts. That’s exactly what this profile is built from.
Elise Menaker’s net worth in 2026
Publicly available information suggests Elise Menaker’s net worth is roughly $1 million as of 2026. She has never disclosed her finances, so treat this as an informed estimate, not a confirmed figure. Broadcasters’ contracts stay private — unlike athlete salaries, which leagues publish openly.
The estimate rests on two things: her dual network roles since 2020, and standard pay ranges in her market. Holding positions at two networks at the same time — Marquee and Big Ten Network — is uncommon. It effectively means two income streams from broadcasting alone.
Fair warning before the numbers: leagues publish player salaries, but networks publish nothing. That’s the honest limitation here — no outlet has verified her exact contracts, so any site quoting a precise salary for her is guessing. Here’s why we show a range instead: a range built on documented roles and market pay data can be defended; a fake-precise number can’t.
Salary: what she likely earns
Her annual salary is estimated at $92,000–$95,000. That’s in line with industry averages for experienced regional sports hosts in a major market like Chicago. Earnings reportedly stepped up after Marquee hired her in 2020 for its launch as the Cubs’ dedicated channel.
Income sources beyond the two networks
- Broadcasting contracts — her core income, from Marquee Sports Network and Big Ten Network
- Freelance hosting and podcast work — Cubs-focused shows and Marquee studio segments
- Personalised video requests — she has offered fan videos through Cameo
- Speaking engagements — sports media events and Cornell alumni functions
- Occasional brand partnerships — typically tied to Chicago sports
How we handle numbers like this: figures are built from public information and clearly labelled as estimates — see how we calculate net worth.
Is Elise Menaker married?
No — Elise Menaker is not publicly married as of July 2026. No verified source confirms a husband, fiancé or current partner. She keeps her romantic life almost entirely separate from her public profile.
She has referenced dating in passing over the years. One example: a light-hearted social media mention of a boyfriend during her Milwaukee days around 2015. But she has never publicly named a partner, and she has no publicly known children. She draws that line deliberately. Any site listing a “husband” for her is guessing — we don’t.
How old is Elise Menaker?
Elise Menaker is 37 years old as of July 2026, based on her reported birth date of October 26, 1988. That makes her a Scorpio, for readers who track that sort of thing. The timeline checks out against verifiable milestones. She grew up in Wilmette, Illinois, and finished Cornell in 2010 — exactly where a 1988 birth year lands a standard four-year degree.
Family and early life in Wilmette
Elise grew up in Wilmette, on Chicago’s North Shore, the daughter of Ed and Pam Menaker, with an older sister and a younger brother. Cubs fandom was a family inheritance: annual trips on the L to Wrigley Field were a tradition, and she has often described those games as the start of everything.
Two parental influences shaped her career directly. Her father supplied the baseball obsession. Her mother pushed her toward internships during college. That’s how a young Cornell student ended up on the field at U.S. Cellular Field as an ABC7 intern in 2009 — the day Mark Buehrle threw his perfect game.
Education: New Trier, Cornell and Medill
At New Trier High School she was a standout softball player in Illinois high school (IHSA) competition. From there she went to Cornell University and became one of the best hitters in program history. According to Cornell Athletics’ own record book, she graduated in 2010 holding the career doubles record (53). Her .363 career batting average still ranks fourth-best in program history. She helped the Big Red win two Ivy League titles and reach two NCAA Regionals. Cornell added her to its Athletics Hall of Fame in 2020.
After college she added the journalism half of her toolkit. She earned a master’s in broadcast journalism from Northwestern University’s Medill School as a Bloomberg scholar, plus improv training at The Second City. That combination — record-setting athlete, trained journalist, comedy background — is rarer in sports TV than you’d think. It’s why she can switch between analysis, reporting and hosting without changing gears.
Career: from Swedish softball to Wrigley Field
Professional softball, then local news
Her first job out of Cornell wasn’t in a studio. It was on a diamond in Sweden, playing professional softball for the Skövde Saints in 2010. When she came home, she started at the bottom of the TV ladder: general assignment reporting at KMIZ-TV in Columbia, Missouri. Next came WAND-TV (NewsCenter 17) in Decatur, Illinois. There she worked her way up to the morning news desk while volunteering for sports assignments on the side.
Milwaukee: three years on the Packers beat
In 2014 she moved to WTMJ (TMJ4) in Milwaukee as a sports reporter, covering the Green Bay Packers, Milwaukee Brewers and Milwaukee Bucks. An NFL locker room, week after week, is where sideline reporters either sharpen up or wash out. Three Wisconsin winters later, she had a major-market reel.
Big Ten Network and the move home
In 2017 she came home to Chicago and joined Big Ten Network as a football sideline reporter, softball analyst and studio host. It was the first role that used her playing career and her reporting chops at the same time. She still holds those duties today.
Marquee Sports Network and the Cubs
When the Cubs launched their own channel in 2020, Marquee Sports Network hired her as a studio host and reporter. The kid who rode the L to Wrigley was now fronting the team’s own network. According to MLB.com’s press release, she was announced alongside Cubs legend Mark Grace. And according to Chicago Tribune reporting, she later added host-analyst duties on Marquee’s Triple-A Iowa Cubs telecasts.
Historic firsts and an Emmy
In 2022, Menaker became the first woman ever to serve as a television analyst on a Chicago Cubs game. In 2023 she added the radio version of the same first. She was also part of the franchise’s first all-female TV broadcast, alongside Beth Mowins and Taylor McGregor. Her show “Road to Wrigley” won a Chicago/Midwest Regional Emmy Award in 2023. Through the 2026 season she has kept hosting Cubs coverage, podcasts and Marquee studio segments.
Height and athletic background
Elise Menaker stands 5 feet 7 inches (about 170 cm). That number comes straight from her Cornell University softball roster, so it’s as reliable as this kind of detail gets. Her build reflects years as a Division I infielder. You’ll find sites listing her exact weight and body measurements. No credible source has ever confirmed those numbers, so we don’t publish them.
Elise Menaker on social media
She’s active on X (formerly Twitter) as @EliseMenaker and on Instagram as @elisemenaker. The feeds are mostly work: Cubs coverage, Big Ten games, behind-the-scenes shots, Cornell softball pride and Chicago sports banter. Family and friends moments show up now and then. Want to verify what she’s doing in any given month? Her own accounts are the best primary source there is.
Fast facts about Elise Menaker
- Inducted into the Cornell Athletics Hall of Fame in 2020 for her softball career
- Graduated as Cornell’s career doubles record-holder (53) with a .363 career average
- Won two Ivy League titles and reached two NCAA Regionals with the Big Red
- Played professional softball for Sweden’s Skövde Saints in 2010
- Was on the field as an ABC7 intern for Mark Buehrle’s 2009 perfect game
- First woman to work as both a TV and radio analyst on Cubs broadcasts
- Emmy winner — “Road to Wrigley” took a Chicago/Midwest Regional Emmy in 2023
- Originally dreamed of being Vogue’s fashion editor before choosing sports journalism
The bottom line
Elise Menaker built a seven-figure net worth the slow way. A decade of local news dues. Two network jobs at once. A set of firsts no other Cubs broadcaster can claim. The money story here is really a career story — steady, compounding, and still climbing as of 2026. She keeps the personal side private, and the honest answer on her relationship status is simple: not publicly married, and not telling. You’ll find more sourced profiles in our Net Worth and Biography sections as the library grows.
Frequently asked questions
Is Elise Menaker married?
No. As of July 2026 she is not publicly married, and no partner has been confirmed through verified sources. She keeps her personal life private and has no publicly known children.
What is Elise Menaker’s net worth?
Her net worth is estimated at around $1 million as of 2026, built mainly on her broadcasting contracts with Marquee Sports Network and Big Ten Network. She has never confirmed her finances, so this is an estimate from publicly available information.
How old is Elise Menaker?
She is 37 years old as of July 2026, based on her reported birth date of October 26, 1988. She was born in Wilmette, Illinois.
What does Elise Menaker do for Marquee Sports Network?
She works as a studio host, reporter and analyst on Chicago Cubs coverage — including pre- and post-game shows, podcasts and Triple-A Iowa Cubs telecasts — and has done so since the network launched in 2020.
Why is Elise Menaker famous?
She made Cubs history twice: first woman to serve as a TV analyst on a Cubs game (2022) and first woman to call one as a radio analyst (2023). She also won a Chicago/Midwest Regional Emmy in 2023 for “Road to Wrigley”.
Where did Elise Menaker go to college?
Cornell University (class of 2010), where she was a record-setting softball infielder, followed by a master’s in broadcast journalism from Northwestern University’s Medill School as a Bloomberg scholar.
Does Elise Menaker have a Wikipedia page?
As of this writing, there is no dedicated Wikipedia biography for Elise Menaker. Her verified public record comes from her Cornell Athletics profile, Marquee Sports Network and Big Ten Network bios, press coverage, and her own social accounts — the sources this profile is built on.
How we researched this profile
- I started with primary material: her Cornell Big Red Athletics roster and Hall of Fame pages, and the MLB.com announcement of her Marquee Sports Network hire
- I cross-checked career dates against Chicago Tribune and Des Moines Register reporting and her own verified accounts
- I couldn’t independently verify her exact salary, contract terms or birth date — so those are labelled as reported or estimated, not stated as fact
- I left out on purpose: body measurements, religion and relationship rumours that no credible source confirms
That’s the standard for every FindNetworth profile. If you spot something we missed, our Corrections Policy explains how to flag it — we usually reply within 2–3 working days.
Disclosure: research tools help us gather public records, but every figure above was checked against the listed sources and reviewed by the editor before publishing. FindNetworth has no financial relationship with anyone profiled — figures can’t be bought or changed, per our Editorial Policy.
Sources
- Cornell Big Red Athletics — “Sports Represent More Than a Game for Hall of Famer Menaker ’10” and Elise Menaker’s softball roster page
- MLB.com press release — Marquee Sports Network adds Mark Grace and Elise Menaker as on-air personalities
- Chicago Tribune — Marquee Sports Network adds Elise Menaker as analyst for Triple-A Iowa Cubs telecasts
- Marquee Sports Network — first all-female broadcast announcement; Cornell Hall of Fame induction feature
- Des Moines Register — profile of Elise Menaker’s Marquee Sports Network role
- Her verified accounts — @EliseMenaker on X and @elisemenaker on Instagram