Q&A: Get to know Wisconsin Badgers reporter Mark Stewart

Mark Stewart has been a staple at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel for decades, and sliding back into the Wisconsin Badgers beat has been like a homecoming. Except he never left.

After originally being hired as a high school sports reporter in Milwaukee in 1992, the now-Madison-based Stewart started covering University of Wisconsin athletics, especially men's basketball, in 1999. In 2009, he made an unusual transition back to prep sports reporter and editor, making regular voyages to Milwaukee to capture the best stories in the Milwaukee preps sports scene . And now he's back in Madison, entering his third full season back on the Badgers beat.

With the retirement of longtime Badgers reporter Jeff Potrykus this summer, Stewart moves back into a primary role covering football this fall at UW. Get to know 'Stew' (with questions by JR Radcliffe):

I know you're a Cincinnati guy; give me the background on how you wound up in Milwaukee, and what encouraged you to stay as long as you have?

It was the spring of my senior year at Miami University and I was in a foul mood because I had no job prospects. Then I came home one evening and one of my suite mates gave me a message from the Milwaukee Sentinel. They wanted to bring me up to interview for a position covering high school sports. My question was how did they get my résumé since I hadn’t sent one to them. It turns out that an editor at the Dayton Daily News knew someone in Milwaukee and forwarded my résumé. The crazy part of my interview is that I almost didn’t make it. My flight to Milwaukee was my first trip on a plane and I had no idea how long it took to get through the airport and check in. When I got to my gate the airline had already closed the door. Today they wouldn’t have allowed me on board, but back then they reopened the gate and let me on. I was hired at the end of the interview but allowed to start work after I finished the semester and graduated. It was good timing. The next day I was supposed to drive to Elyria, Ohio, which is near Cleveland, for an interview as a features reporter. I appreciate Bill Windler, Gerry Hinkley and Marta Bender for having faith in me.

I know prep sports and college sports are pretty different, but you're still working with young athletes. How are the tasks similar and how are they different?

The tasks are similar in that you’re still dealing with people and the better you can connect with them the better the interview will be. At the college level, it’s a little harder to build those relationships because it’s harder to get one-on-one time with players and coaches. For high school athletes, being interviewed and receiving media attention is new and there is a freshness to their comments that I feel is unique. By the time they get to the college level you don't get that as much, they're much more polished. Another difference is that at the college level, the coverage is more in depth. In Milwaukee, we covered more than 100 high schools and they were playing a variety of sports so I could never focus on one team or school.

Who are some of the most interesting athletes and personalities you've covered in the past quarter century? Bonus points if you covered them in high school and in college

I covered Dick Bennett during the Final Four season. He was extremely honest when he answered questions and was extremely media friendly when it came to letting reporters watch practice, interview players or himself. I covered Bo Ryan when he was hired at UWM – I covered the Panthers for two years – and then when he took over at Wisconsin. He's a great story teller and it seemed like he knew everyone or at least had some kind of connection or interaction with everyone. There are only a few guys I covered in high school and college. Mike Kelley, Andy Kowske and Freddie Owens come to mind. Julian Swartz, too. That 2000 Final Four team was filled with great talkers.

What specifically have you found special about the University of Wisconsin and the city of Madison?

As far as Madison goes, living here was an adjustment initially because I really liked Milwaukee and my wife's family is there. I love living here now, but when I first got to town I’d get annoyed because people would drive so slow. Then one day I drove past a speed limit sign, realized I was the problem and took my foot off the gas. LOL! Now I drive ‘slow’ like everyone else.

The college athletics ecosystem is completely different this time around, with a refashioned Big Ten, athletes getting paid and the transfer portal becoming a chief mechanism for building a roster. I know it's asking a broad question here, but how do you feel about this version of college sports vs. the one you left in 2009, and how has covering it changed?

I like this version of college sports. I never thought it was fair that players received no compensation for their contribution to the game when so much money was generated from football and men’s basketball. It was a recipe for scandal and cheating. At least these days players can try to get what they feel is their market value. The transfer portal has definitely made the off-seasons busier, but philosophically I like the portal. I never thought it was fair that players had to sit out a year when they transferred and a coach could leave one job for another and coach the next season. Also, college athletes only have four years to compete, so why not give them every opportunity to find a spot where they can play? The portal helps make that happen.

UW enters the 2024 football season with a monumental challenge in the talent-rich Big Ten, and they could easily post the same or a lesser record despite improvement. What signs would tell you, right out of the gate, that this team will be better in 2024?

This team appears to be deeper and more athletic than last season, especially on defense. The team also appears to be in better shape at receiver and in better position to attack teams downfield. I also believe there is some truth to the idea that the second time around, everyone is more comfortable with the playbook and that players are playing more instinctively.

When the press box shakes because of 'Jump Around,' does it still make you a little nervous?

I try to block it out. I just hope the engineers who said the stadium could structurally handle it are right.

We must know how you feel about the habitually late-arriving students at Badgers home football games. Be honest.

It really doesn't bother me. It doesn't affect what I'm doing. And they're usually on time, or close to it, for the big games.

Camp Randall and the Kohl Center excluded, what are a couple venues that should be on every Big Ten fan's bucket list?

I hate to be cliché with this answer, but every Big Ten fan should see a football game at Ohio State and Michigan. Penn State is cool and Iowa's Stadium has a cozy feel to it. I’m looking forward to experiencing the L.A. Coliseum for the USC game next month. For basketball, Indiana is a must trip. Assembly Hall is such a uniquely built arena. Pauley Pavilion would also be good to see because of UCLA’s history. Closer to home, the UW Field House was a special place for basketball and it's a electric environment for volleyball.

What are your hobbies and interests outside of sports writing?

Hobbies? I enjoy gardening, though parts of my yard are a mess. And given my Cincinnati roots, I’ll follow the Reds during the summer and during football season I usually won’t miss a Bengals game, even if it means recording it and watching it hours later.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Q&A: Get to know Wisconsin Badgers reporter Mark Stewart