WAKE UP SWIG
I assure you, this article is not about yelling outside of the Swig Residence Hall tower. Instead, it is about a forum where you can learn and follow practically anything about Santa Clara Athletics. This little-known website highlights the quiet passion that exists for all things Broncos–no matter the sport.
Not many people see Santa Clara as a sports-crazed school, but there is a group of folks who live, breathe and eat Bronco Athletics.
Alongside previews and in-game live threads, the forum is a place for people to generate thoughts about Santa Clara University at large, with many usernames sporting the years and locations of their undergraduate experience. In addition to daily basketball updates, other topics include musings about the women’s soccer team, the nomination of Julie Sullivan as President of Santa Clara, Bronco baseball’s postseason run and reflections on past success.
Throughout its existence, the community has quickly increased its active participants, with more and more sports fans like me beginning to tune in. What was once strictly a passion project is now upkept yearly and has become a formidable operation.
Founder John Cardoza has created fundraisers to cover the cost of running the servers that connect passionate Bronco fans from around the globe.
Cardoza took over the site after a transfer from Santa Clara play-by-play radio announcer Dave Lewis and Zygmunt Wiedemann in the mid-2000s. When Wiedemann passed away in July of 2010, it prompted Cardoza to reflect on the forum’s growth.
With the increased growth and success of Bronco Basketball, the site appears to be thriving—it is no longer “two guys talking to each other” and now plays host to “thoughtful if, at times, passionate dialogue and insights,” said Cardoza. “I think Zygmunt would be pleased."
Pat McDonnell, ‘15, joined the community only a few years ago. He became so involved that he is now the lead moderator and has become one of the main faces behind Wake Up Swig. Alongside Cardoza, McDonnell has shaped the present-day voice and atmosphere of what readers see and interact with today.
“My freshman year was in the 2011-12 season, and Santa Clara didn’t win a single conference game,” said McDonnell. “You wouldn’t generally think that’s a starting place for being a sports fan, but I’m sold watching this team. I came up with a previous iteration of the forum with like-minded folks who are interested in Santa Clara Basketball.”
Over the years, the message board has taken several shapes. Initially, the website was run with Yuku software, then moved to another database and eventually settled on Discourse in 2017. A naming contest was held among posters, and Wake Up Swig won over the Burning Couch Club. Those final names were aptly presented, on-brand with how we view campus today and are sure to give current Broncos a laugh.
Sometimes it takes the worst of times to bring people the closest. Wake Up Swig is no exception when it comes to the discourse surrounding Santa Clara Athletics. McDonnell didn’t have to spend time out of his day talking about a team that wasn’t winning. But that’s not why he or any of the people on the forum are present. They simply want a chance to continue the collegiate community that they felt during their years on or connected to Santa Clara.
“My hope for Wake Up Swig is that it continues to broaden in terms of who we have and what people are interested in terms of Santa Clara Athletics,” McDonell said. “The women’s soccer team has long been the premier team in terms of success, and the women’s basketball team has done quite well this year with Tess Heal and is having a moment nationally. Having the forum broaden is something that excites and interests me.”