Mike Swaim Jr. joins the Bulldog Radio Broadcast Team as Men’s Basketball Analyst
DES MOINES, Iowa – Drake Athletics and its exclusive multimedia rights holder, Drake Sports Properties, have signed a multi-year extension with Saga Communications for longtime broadcast partner ESPN Des Moines to continue as the flagship radio home of the Bulldogs.
Throughout the partnership extension, ESPN Des Moines, a subsidiary of Saga’s Des Moines Media Group, will continue to broadcast Drake Football, Men’s Basketball and Women’s Basketball games on 102.1 FM and 1350 AM.
“We are thrilled to continue our long-standing partnership with Drake Athletics,” said Stephanie Heide, VP/General Manager of Des Moines Media Group. “At Des Moines Media Group/ ESPN Des Moines we take pride in being the home of the Bulldogs and providing this live and local connection with their fans.”
“As the flagship radio station of Des Moines’ Hometown Team, ESPN Des Moines has broadcast many victories by our basketball and football teams to Central Iowa,” said Drake University athletics director Brian Hardin. “We are proud to partner with Des Moines Media Group and look forward to many more Drake wins being shared across our community.”
As the Bulldogs continue their long relationship with ESPN Des Moines, they bring in a new Men’s Basketball radio analyst as Mike Swaim Jr. joins 6-year play-by-play voice Michael Admire on the Bulldog broadcast team.
Swaim Jr. is a familiar voice to Central Iowans as he has provided basketball analysis for the Iowa High School Sports Network since 2017 and briefly filled in for his predecessor, Paul Doerrfeld, in the 2022-23 Bulldog hoops season. Swaim Jr. was a successful boys’ basketball coach in Des Moines and grew up a Drake fan ever since his father, Mike Swaim Sr., was on the Bulldog sideline as an assistant coach.
“I’m really excited for the opportunity to join the broadcast team with Michael Admire and I’m looking forward to being a part of a new era of Drake Men’s Basketball led by Coach Ben McCollum,” said Swaim, Jr.
Hunter Phillips and Randy Mauro will continue into their ninth year together on Drake Women’s Basketball broadcasts where Mauro will now join Phillips on select road trips in addition to calling all home games.
Drake’s Football broadcast tandem of 12-year Bulldog radio veteran Chuck Reed and analyst Craig Wederquist return for this Football season, their second full season together in the booth as an all-Drake-alumnus team.
“ESPN Des Moines has been a terrific partner as a home to Drake Athletics for years and continues to provide the best possible broadcast experience for Bulldog fans,” said Greg Ellis, General Manager of Drake Sports Properties. “We’re excited to continue offering quality broadcasts to listeners and to welcome Mike Swaim Jr. to our talented radio broadcast team.”
In addition to finding the Bulldogs on ESPN Des Moines, fans can also stream all broadcasts on The Varsity Network mobile app, available on the Apple and Android app stores.
Drake Sports Properties, the locally based team of Learfield – the media and technology company powering college athletics – is the exclusive multimedia rights holder for Drake University Athletics and oversees the relationship with Des Moines Radio Group on behalf of the Bulldogs.
About Saga Communications/Des Moines Radio Group/ESPN Des Moines
Des Moines Media Group includes seven FM and two AM stations in Des Moines: 93.3 KIOA, STAR 102.5 KSTZ, LAZER 103.3 KAZR, 104.1 EZ FM KOEZ, HITS 99.9 KIOA HD-2, The Outlaw 93.7 KSTZ HD-2, Pure Oldies 104.5 KAZR HD-2, HOPE 940 KPSZ, and ESPN Des Moines 1350 KRNT AM. Des Moines Media Group is a division of Saga Communications, Inc. of Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan.
About Learfield
Learfield is the leading media and technology company powering college athletics. Through its digital and physical platforms, Learfield owns and leverages a deep data set and relationships in the industry to drive revenue, growth, brand awareness, and fan engagement for brands, sports, and entertainment properties. With ties to over 1,200 collegiate institutions and over 12,000 local and national brand partners, Learfield’s presence in college sports and live events delivers influence and maximizes reach to target audiences. With solutions for a 365-day, 24/7 fan experience, Learfield enables schools and brands to connect with fans through licensed merchandise, game ticketing, donor identification for athletic programs, exclusive custom content, innovative marketing initiatives, NIL solutions, and advanced digital platforms. Since 2008, it has served as title sponsor for the acclaimed Learfield Directors’ Cup, supporting athletic departments across all divisions.