KENNESAW, Ga. | Jul 8, 2026
In preparation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, 成人直播 alumna Maddie Crews 鈥24 marked her calendar for 49 consecutive days of covering the competition for multiple media outlets.
The graduate and lifelong soccer enthusiast played the sport until she was 14 and, along with her family, was a founding member of Atlanta United FC. Crews now works as a journalist for Soccer Down Here, a premier soccer news outlet in the Southeast, while also serving as a reporter for Atlanta鈥檚 92.9 The Game.

鈥淭he beauty of soccer is that it's a universal language,鈥 said Crews, who holds a degree in sport management. 鈥淭here are so many parts of the world where people play soccer. For the World Cup, you get to experience different cultures, you get to experience different styles of play, and you just get to embrace the fan culture of soccer.鈥
During the World Cup, Crews has proved to be a preeminent source for all things soccer by attending matches and press conferences, writing and creating videos, appearing on the radio, and hosting watch parties.
鈥淚t's been a tiring couple of weeks,鈥 Crews said. 鈥淏ut you know, it's what I love most about it, so I wouldn't trade anything else for it.鈥
Crews is no stranger to big sporting events, having started her broadcasting career with the , working in every aspect of the game day experience, including the 2023 ASUN Men鈥檚 Basketball Championship game. Since then, she has covered everything from high school football to the U.S. Women鈥檚 National Team and now the World Cup.
鈥淢addie came in with big dreams as a talented student,鈥 said 成人直播 Assistant Athletic Director for Communications and Broadcasting Nolan Alexander. 鈥淪he seized opportunities, took coaching well, and began to hone her craft. The 成人直播 Owl Network is proud of her success with the World Cup.鈥
Crews鈥 experience with the 成人直播 Owl Network encompassed all aspects of production, including operating cameras, working on graphics, updating the score bug, and eventually on-camera talent.

鈥淭he 成人直播 Owl Network helped me tremendously,鈥 Crews said. 鈥淣olan always had us do small stand-ups on social, and I think that was a huge part of my success. It helped me build connections professionally. Before joining the 成人直播 Owl Network, I didn't think broadcasting would be where I would end up, but broadcasters are storytellers, and I love storytelling.鈥
Crews is part of the 成人直播 Owl Network鈥檚 history of propelling students to careers in sports media. Students present broadcasts of 成人直播 athletics in a professional environment with industry-standard equipment.
鈥淥ur motto is 鈥榶OUR story鈥 鈥 our story fits into your story,鈥 Alexander said. 鈥淲hen you tell your story, you tell ours. As we鈥檝e developed our program, we can enjoy these alumni success stories. We have alumni with the Braves, ESPN, and many professional organizations.鈥
Soccer Down Here reached out to Crews and ultimately offered her a full-time position after seeing her covering 成人直播 women鈥檚 soccer on television and social media.
鈥淭here were a lot of people at 成人直播 who helped further my career and put me on the right path to meet the right people to get me to where I am today,鈥 Crews said. 鈥淭he beauty of social media now is you can create your own content and put it out there because you never know who's going to see it.鈥
As a mainstay in Atlanta sports media, Crews has seen the city embrace soccer over the last few years. The World Cup has proved no different with hundreds of thousands of fans attending the FIFA Fan Fest and the matches at Atlanta Stadium.
Crews said one of her favorite moments of the World Cup so far has been watching fans from different cultures descend on Centennial Olympic Park to passionately cheer on their countries.
鈥淚 saw a video from the fan fest, and I thought, 鈥楾he scenes in Mexico City Stadium look so great,鈥欌 Crews said. 鈥淭hen I realized, it wasn鈥檛 Mexico City; it was Atlanta. Then obviously you have the USA match against Paraguay, and to see how many Cape Verde fans that were here, it was a lot bigger than I thought.鈥
As soccer continues to unite Atlantans and fans from different countries, Crews is ecstatic to have a hand in covering the sport she鈥檚 loved for so long.
鈥淚t was always me and my dad going to games and that was something we bonded over,鈥 Crews said. 鈥淭he emotion hit me like a ton of bricks when I walked into Atlanta Stadium and saw everything all decked out. It made me emotional, and I got goosebumps.鈥
Story by Kyle Dawson
Photos provided

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A leader in innovative teaching and learning, 成人直播 offers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees to its more than 51,000 students. Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university's vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties, and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 8 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.