Zain Bando covers college football and combat sports as a freelance writer for The Sporting News. He graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism.
Bando focuses on Big Ten coverage as his primary beat. He’s written extensively about Illinois, Northwestern, and Kansas State athletics over the years.
His work extends beyond college sports into MMA and boxing coverage for MMA Knockout On Sports Illustrated.
Podcast Work
Bando hosts two weekly podcasts through the Empty The Bench Podcast Network. Bando’s Breakdowns and The MMA Outsiders air on YouTube and distribute across podcast platforms Tuesday nights and Friday afternoons.
The Chicago suburban native holds memberships in the Football Writers Association of America and the United States Basketball Writers Association.
Published Work
Since June 2019, Bando’s byline has appeared across multiple platforms. His work has been featured on:
• MSN
• Yardbarker
• Deadspin
• FanSided
• BJPenn.com
• Bridge Media Network
• Mike Farrell Sports
• Reuters
He continues developing his skills as a sports journalist and media personality.
When he’s not writing, Bando watches classic UFC fights and spends time with family and friends. He’s memorized every Super Bowl and plans future travel destinations while keeping his laptop close by.
