College Sports Established
1896
Location
Santa Clara, California
College Name
Santa Clara University
Collegiate History
1973 - Present / NCAA Division 1
1952 - 1973 / University Division of the NCAA
Conference History
1952 - Present / West Coast Conference
Nickname
Broncos - Are you a sports fan curious about the origins of the Santa Clara Broncos nickname? If so, then this blog post is for you!
Santa Clara University has been around since 1851, and its athletic teams have gone by many names. The most enduring name has been “Broncos,” adopted in 1923 as an homage to the Wild West era and its brave cowboys who rode broncos (untamed horses). It seemed like a fitting moniker for SCU's athletes, known for their toughness on and off the field. The school also chose to use brown and white as its official colors, further emphasizing its connection with that era of American history.
The Bronco mascot was introduced in 1950 when Santa Clara College changed its name to Santa Clara University after becoming affiliated with the Jesuit education system. Since then, it has become an integral part of university life - from cheering on teams at games to appearing at campus events throughout the year - making it one of the most recognizable mascots in NCAA Division I athletics today! And while there may be other schools out there named after wild animals or Western figures, none can claim such deep roots or historical significance as those associated with our beloved Bronco mascot here at SCU!
NCAA Championships
Baseball 0
Men's Basketball 0
Women's Basketball 0
Football 0
Soccer 0
- 1883
- 1896
- 1904
- 1937
- 2006
- 2007
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Santa Clara Broncos Baseball Beginning
Santa Clara began play in 1883 and has enjoyed a long history of baseball excellence. Santa Clara has won eleven conference titles and appeared in twelve NCAA Tournaments, including a runner-up finish in the 1962 College World Series. Individually, 34 Broncos have been named All-Americans, and 158 players have been drafted in the MLB Draft, with 48 players making it ... -
Santa Clara Broncos First Football Game
The Santa Clara Broncos football program was the intercollegiate American football team for Santa Clara University located in Santa Clara, California. Santa Clara played its first football game against St. Mary’s College in San Francisco in 1896. Santa Clara compiled an all-time record of 352–244–28 (.587). -
Santa Clara Men’s Basketball
Men’s basketball played its first season in 1904. Since then, the men’s basketball team has historically been a strong program within the West Coast Conference. The program has produced 13 All-Americans, with their first, Ralph Giannini, coming in the 1940 season. The program has produced NBA stars Steve Nash, and Kurt Rambis, as well as college stars Ken Sears and ... -
Broncos Football Hall of Fame
Quarterback, Nello “Flash” Falaschi led the Broncos to a 21–14 upset over LSU in the 1937 Sugar Bowl. Little Santa Clara was a decided underdog going against Louisiana State. Falaschi attended and played college football at Santa Clara University, where he played quarterback. While there, he led them to a victory in the 1937 Sugar Bowl and was named an ... -
Broncos Men’s soccer
The men’s soccer team is one of the nation’s elite teams having since 2006 been among the top eight programs of the NCAA for developing professional players overall. The men’s soccer team has reached the championship match of the College Cup three times. In 1989, they faced the University of Virginia; both teams were declared co-champions after the game ended ... -
Snapping Gonzaga’s 50-game winning streak
On February 12, 2007, the men’s basketball team snapped Gonzaga’s 50-game home winning streak. At the time, it was the longest ongoing home winning streak in the NCAA.
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History of the Broncos
Santa Clara's football program is one of its most successful teams, having won four conference titles since joining the West Coast Conference (WCC) in 1952. During this time, they've also made two trips to the prestigious Holiday Bowl game - first against Texas Tech University in 1997 and then again against Boise State University just last year! Additionally, their men's basketball team has earned three WCC tournament championships during this period and six regular season titles too!
In recent years Santa Clara has seen much success on both sides of the ball; however, it was not always that way for them as before 2010, they had only ever made one appearance at an NCAA tournament which came all way back in 1977 when they were eliminated by UCLA Bruins’s legendary coach John Wooden’s “Dream Team” squad! Since then, things have changed drastically for them – between 2011-2016 alone; they managed five consecutive post-season berths while claiming two more WCC Tournament Championships and another regular season title too!
Overall it is clear why so many sports fans love following Santa Clara Broncos; whether you're into football or basketball, there is something here for everyone, thanks to their impressive track record of accomplishments throughout their lengthy existence within collegiate athletics worldwide! So if you're looking for a new favorite college sports team, check out what these guys can do next time – you won't be disappointed.
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