In this episode of WJPZ at 50, Jag sits down with Tim Swartz, a member of the WJPZ Class of 2009, to talk about his path from the Bay Area to Syracuse University, his time helping lead the Z89 sports department, and the unique sports media career he has built since graduation.
Tim grew up in San Mateo, California, just south of San Francisco. He loved radio and sports from a young age, and that combination eventually led him to Syracuse. Once he arrived on campus, he found WJPZ through a general interest meeting and quickly connected with the sports staff. The station became his home base, along with Citrus TV, and gave him the chance to learn by doing.
Tim’s role at Z89 grew quickly. By the spring of his sophomore year, he became sports director (at just 19 years old). The sports department was thin at the time, so part of his job was recruiting new students and rebuilding the system. He helped create structure around pregame shows, postgame coverage, halftime reports, coach interviews, features, and broadcast archives. Some of those systems are still in place today.
During Tim’s time at Syracuse, some of the major men’s sports programs struggled. Football had a rough stretch, men’s basketball missed the NCAA tournament, and lacrosse hit a rare low point. But women’s sports were rising. Tim talks about covering women’s lacrosse as it reached new milestones, including an NCAA tournament win and a Final Four appearance. He also covered women’s basketball as the program earned national attention. That experience helped shape how he viewed sports coverage and the importance of giving every program professional treatment.
After graduation, Tim built a career that has taken him in several directions. He has called games for Stanford, worked in minor league baseball, done stats work for ESPN, taught broadcasting, and covered a wide range of sports. His current role is with NBA 2K, where he works in audio, writing, voiceover, talent support, and quality control. Tim explains how his broadcasting background helps him write lines that sound natural for announcers like Kevin Harlan, Brian Anderson, Greg Anthony, Doris Burke, and Stan Van Gundy.
One of the best parts of the conversation is hearing how WJPZ prepared Tim for a career that does not fit into one simple box. He learned how to lead people, work with coaches, build relationships, try new things, and stay professional around athletes and teams. He also learned how to work alongside talented classmates who went on to major careers at ESPN, Fox Sports, The Athletic, and other national outlets.
Tim also reflects on returning to Syracuse and seeing how much has changed on campus while still feeling the same spirit inside Z89. For him, WJPZ was more than a college radio station. It was a training ground, a community, and one of the places that still feels like home.
(00:00) Intro
(01:37) Growing up in San Mateo and choosing Syracuse
(02:40) Finding Z89 as a freshman
(05:38) Becoming sports director at 19
(08:30) Syracuse women’s sports rise during Tim’s years
(09:47) Recruiting and keeping the station moving
(10:26) Alex Silverman’s role in station leadership
(12:03) Tim’s career after graduation
(13:34) Teaching, ESPN stats, and NBA 2K
(16:34) Stanford women’s basketball and cutting down the net
(18:54) Writing and audio work for NBA 2K
(23:16) Returning to Syracuse
(27:00) Learning how to work around teams and coaches
(29:37) The depth of Syracuse broadcasting talent
(36:33) The Poker Face prank
(37:42) College radio friendships and camaraderie