Iconic IU basketball radio voice Don Fischer will be honored at halftime tomorrow when Indiana hosts Purdue at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
Fischer is in his 50th season of calling IU basketball and football games.
Here is the release from IU on Fischer —
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The Indiana University athletics program is celebrating the 50-year career of the “Voice of the Hoosiers” football and basketball teams, Don Fischer. He will be honored in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall at halftime of Saturday’s game with Purdue.
In 1973, WIRE-Radio in Indianapolis had obtained the rights to be the first exclusive network of IU sports, and they needed a sportscaster to call the games. At the age of 26, Fischer, who was doing more than 175 play-by-play games a year, fit the bill, beginning a 50-year run, which continues to this day and has included more than 2,000 games.
Fischer has the fourth longest tenure of all play-by-play announcers in Division I college basketball. He grew up in Rochelle, Illinois.
Broadcasted four NCAA Championship contests and 12 bowl games.
Named the National Sports Media Association’s Indiana Sportscaster of the Year 27 times.
Will receive the Indiana Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association Lifetime Achievement Award in April for his 50 years of service. Has won the Marv Bates Award four times as the ISAA’s Sportscaster of the Year and is a member of its Hall of Fame.
Selected as the 2022 Chris Schenkel Award winner by the National Football Foundation.
Worked alongside Joe Smith, Max Skirvin, Bob Hammel, Todd Leary, Royce Waltman and Errek Suhr calling IU basketball.
Worked with head basketball coaches Bob Knight, Mike Davis, Kelvin Sampson, Dan Dakich, Tom Crean, Archie Miller and Mike Woodson.
Regards the 1976 NCAA Championship win against Michigan as one of his favorite games because team finished undefeated. Also considers 1981 and 1987 National Championships among his most memorable moments.
Other notables include the 1989 Big Ten championship season with Jay Edwards hitting several key end of game shots, the 2002 NCAA Regional Semifinal win over Duke, the 2011 Christian Watford game winning shot against Kentucky, and the last minute comeback at Michigan to win the 2013 Big Ten Championship.
Twenty-six players have earned All-American honors during his tenure and the Hoosiers won 14 Big Ten titles.
Awarded the University Bicentennial Award in 2019 for his enormous contributions to Indiana University and Indiana Athletics.
