Voice of the Hoosiers Don Fischer to be Honored for 50 Years of Broadcasting
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Legendary broadcaster Don Fischer will be honored at halftime of the Indiana, Purdue basketball game Saturday for his 50 years as the voice of the Hoosiers.
The Rochelle, Ill. native claims the fourth longest tenure of all play-by-play announcers in Division I college basketball as he's seen 26 Hoosiers earn All-American titles.
This all started in 1973 when a 26-year-old Fischer was calling more than 175 play-by-play games a year, and WIRE-Radio in Indianapolis needed a sportscaster to call Indiana games after obtaining the rights to be the first exclusive network for Hoosiers sports.
Fischer even at a young age was fit for the bill and has since called more than 2,000 games for the cream and crimson.
Fischer has called four NCAA championships, 12 bowl games and has been a part of 14 Big Ten titles. He regards the 1976 NCAA Championship 86-68 win over Michigan as one of his favorite games since the team remained undefeated. He said the 1981 and 1987 championships are also high on his list.
Kent Benson
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Other notable games for him include Jay Edwards hitting several key shots in the 1989 Big Ten championship, the 2011 Christian Watford game-winning shot over Kentucky and the last minute comeback at Michigan for the Big Ten title win in 2013.
Christian Watford
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During his broadcasting tenure, Fischer has worked alongside Indiana head basketball coaches Bob Knight, Mike Davis, Kelvin Sampson, Dan Dakich, Tom Crean, Archie Miller and now Mike Woodson.
Fischer has earned plenty of awards as he's raked in 27 National Sports Media Association’s Indiana Sportscaster of the Year honors plus the University Bicentennial Award in 2019 for his contributions to the university and Indiana Athletics.
For his 50 years of service to Indiana sports, Fischer will receive the Indiana Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association Lifetime Achievement Award in April.
Fifty years and counting, he's not done yet as there's still plenty more basketball and football to be played and hopefully more championships to add to Fischer's all-time favorite games he's covered.
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