As a radio sports play-by-play announcer, Tim Newton tracks achievements, milestones and statistics to inform his listeners. But here is an accomplishment that others will share about him: On Dec. 20, Newton will broadcast his 1,000th Purdue women's basketball game when the Boilermakers play host to Indiana State at Mackey Arena. It's an incredible number – he has been describing the action for 34 years – but the ever-humble Newton is mostly unmoved.
"It's just a number, and it means I have been doing this a long time," Newton says. "I got from my dad a work ethic that follows the old saying, 'The best ability is availability.' And I think that's the one thing I've prided myself on for 30-plus years: I have never missed a game because of illness. It has been a lot of fun doing this for as long as I have because I've enjoyed the people I've worked with and I respect the program's accomplishments."
Based on the best research available, Newton and LSU's Patrick Wright will be the only active radio voices to reach 1,000 women's basketball games called and likely the only ones ever. Wright is also slated to reach the mark in December.
Newton has been behind the microphone for the 1999 NCAA Tournament championship, 25 trips to the NCAA Tournament, three appearances in the WNIT, all seven Big Ten Conference regular-season championships in program history and all nine conference tournament titles. Before Newton started, the then-16-year-old program had yet to win a Big Ten championship, made just three postseason appearances and played only 406 total games.
"Tim is a living history of modern-day Purdue women's basketball," says Lin Dunn, the Boilermakers' head coach from 1987-96 and a member of the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame. "From his first call through all the Big Ten championships, Final Fours and a national championship, he has seen it all, and his longevity is remarkable. I was always impressed with his professionalism – preparation, attention to detail and the joy he exhibited when calling a game. He's simply the best."
How it started
Prior to the 1990-91 season, WBAA (920 AM) station manager David Bunte asked Newton if he would be interested in broadcasting women's basketball games. WBAA had not covered the sport previously, nor had any commercial station in Greater Lafayette. Newton, working for the Purdue News Service then, had volunteered at WBAA as a student and broadcast men's and women's basketball games for his residence hall radio station. A 1981 Purdue graduate with a degree in mass communication, Newton began his professional broadcasting career as the sports director at WASK Radio in Lafayette from 1982-86 and then was a sportswriter for the Journal & Courier from 1987-89.
WBAA hired Newton and began airing games with the start of the Big Ten campaign on Jan. 3, 1991. Game No. 1 came against Ohio State at Mackey. The third-ranked Boilermakers were undefeated with a 10-0 record and boasted a roster forged to win the program's first conference championship. Purdue dominated, winning 105-45 for its first-ever victory against the Buckeyes – and went on to capture the Big Ten title.
"That was quite a way to start, and we went straight from that game to the Purdue Airport to fly out to play two days later in the Big Ten-SEC Challenge at Iowa. So we certainly hit the ground running," Newton says.
Newton called his initial game alongside Nancy Cross, former assistant coach and at the time assistant director of the John Purdue Club.
"It was a professional privilege to work side-by-side with Tim for nearly a decade and to observe his genuine commitment to share all facets of our women's basketball student-athletes through his game broadcasts," says Cross, who served as senior woman administrator for Purdue Athletics from 2000-22. "While I am not the least bit surprised that Tim will broadcast his 1,000th game, I am continually impressed that his passion, enthusiasm and love for the program, its student-athletes and coaches have never waned.
"The hallmark of Tim's broadcasts includes his picture-perfect descriptions of the action, clever turn-of-phrase insights, honest assessments and tremendous enthusiasm that you can hear in his voice. If there were a Final Four of play-by-play announcers, Tim would be there every year."
It appeared Newton's tenure would end just over two years after it started when he resigned following the 1992-93 season. The challenge of balancing a full-time job with 30-plus basketball games from November through March – not to mention being a husband and father – tugged at him. But when his replacement backed out, Newton reassessed and returned.
"I never wanted to give it up in the first place, and when they came back to me and asked me if I would reconsider, I had a better overall feeling about things," Newton says. "I would say it turned out to be a pretty good decision."
A good decision indeed
The Boilermakers reached their first Women's Final Four in 1994 – stunning Stanford on its home court in the regional championship – and unexpectedly shared the 1997 Big Ten championship in Nell Fortner's lone season as head coach. It was Purdue's third conference crown in four seasons and fourth in seven.
"I know from my time there, Tim was incredibly helpful and so professional to work with," Fortner says. "His loyalty and love for Purdue and knowledge of Purdue Athletics has not only enriched the women's basketball program, but the entire athletics department. He has had a phenomenal career."
Next came the highly anticipated 1998-99 season that began with a victory over No. 1-ranked Tennessee at Mackey and ended with a national championship in San Jose, California – with the realization that head coach Carolyn Peck was leaving afterward to become coach and general manager of the WNBA's Orlando Miracle.
"Everything about that season is a great memory and was tremendous theater," Newton says. "You had two seniors in Stephanie White and Ukari Figgs, who were playing for their third coach in four years and were determined to go out on top. The entire program rallied together, and it was special to be part of it."
Purdue fans will forever remember Newton's vintage call in the closing moments against Duke: "Ladies and gentlemen, the national champion resides in West Lafayette, Indiana, as Katie Douglas throws the ball skyward. It's over. Purdue wins 62-45, capturing the national championship."
The Boilermakers returned to the title game two years later under head coach Kristy Curry, falling 68-66 to Notre Dame in the final seconds. Newton calls that loss the most painful of his career. "I can't even think of a close second," he says. "It's still heartbreaking to have been that close to winning two titles in three years."
Says Curry about Newton: "Tim's dedication and love for our sport through the years is truly special. He has shared so many special moments with the Purdue family."
Former Purdue player Sharon Versyp became head coach in 2006 and led the Boilermakers to four Big Ten Tournament championships and two NCAA Tournament Elite Eight appearances in her 15 seasons.
"Tim appreciated, cared about and believed in our sport back in the day when I was a player and then as head coach," Versyp says. "His passion for the game, the professional coverage and excitement he brought every day and every game throughout the seasons is second to none. He always saw and spoke positively and made all athletes feel a part of something special on and off the court. Tim is one of my all-time favorite people besides being the very dedicated and best voice of women's basketball in the country."
Another alumna, Katie Gearlds, took over the program in 2021 and has the Boilermakers on the road back to national prominence.
"I've enjoyed working with all six head coaches and never had an issue with any of them, and I'm proud of that," says Newton, who also has hosted a weekly coaches show since the 1999-2000 season. "I think they trust me, that I'll have their back and I'm not going to say anything to undercut what they're trying to do. And the more they trust you, the more information they give you and the better it makes your broadcast."
Broadcasts moved from WBAA to Artistic Media after the 1997-98 season and currently are aired on WBPE (95.3 FM) through the Boilermaker Sports Network, which Learfield Audio and Purdue Sports Properties manage.
"For 34 years, Tim has been the steady voice behind Purdue women's basketball – a play-by-play voice whose passion and dedication has become synonymous with the rich tradition of the program," says Mark Walpole, general manager of Purdue Sports Properties. "Reaching 1,000 games is a tremendous milestone, and we couldn't be prouder to have Tim as the voice of Purdue women's basketball."
Alongside my partner
Newton has had a handful of color analysts, most notably former Purdue player Jane (Calhoun) Schott, who played for the Boilermakers from 1987-92 and began broadcasting a few years later.
"It has been an honor to work alongside Tim for so many years," Schott says. "He puts so much time into his work because he cares so much, not only about calling a good game but about the women's basketball program and the people associated with it. He raised the level of awareness of the Boilermakers with his very first broadcast and continues to do so three decades later.
"I know fans who, for games that are televised, will turn down the sound on their TV and listen to the radio because they want to hear Tim. That's the ultimate compliment."
Among his other partners through the years have been Boilermaker alumnae Courtney (Moses) Delks, Joy Holmes-Harris and Teri Moren. He also was joined at times by past sports information/athletics communications staff members Kathleen Offer, Jim Ross, Tom Schott and Sara White, as well as Marcy Girton, a former graduate assistant with the Purdue Alumni Association.
Despite ever-growing advances in technology, there have been a handful of times when connection failures or equipment malfunctions have resulted in Newton broadcasting under less-than-ideal circumstances. Amazingly, he has even called a few games while passing a phone back and forth with his partner. Through those trials, the calm and collected Newton remained undaunted.
"You have no choice," Newton says. "It's tough, and you must adapt when you are your own engineer. The adage is, 'The show must go on,' so you find a way somehow to get the games on the radio."
Adding football to the mix
In 1995, Newton expanded his broadcasting portfolio, joining the Purdue football radio crew as pregame/halftime/postgame host and producer. He was promoted to the play-by-play chair in 2009 following the retirement of Joe McConnell, a role he continues to this day.
Newton was named the 2021 Indiana Sportscaster of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. As the top sportscaster in the state, Newton became the first Purdue broadcaster to earn the award since McConnell in 2000.
"Tim's impact on Purdue women's basketball is immeasurable," Gearlds says. "I remember listening to him as a kid during the national championship runs. I worked closely with him as a student-athlete. Now, I get to work side-by-side with the best announcer in college basketball. There isn't a better steward for our program."
Whatever the sport or broadcast, Newton is meticulous in his preparation. He credits feedback received as a student for this thoroughness.
"After a high school game I broadcast on WBAA, for which I wasn't fully prepared, I had a parent call me and very nicely, but very firmly, tell me that if I was going to do this, I needed to put the time in beforehand," Newton says. "And I've never forgotten that. It was one of the best lessons I ever had. So from that day on, I have never gone into a game without being fully prepared."
A native of Irving, New York, Newton has been a Purdue employee since 1989. After the News Service, he worked for the Purdue Alumni Association from 1992-99, serving as the Purdue Alumnus magazine editor. He has spent the last 24 years as director of external relations and communications for the Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr. School of Business.
Newton's dual careers require him to be a wizard when it comes to time management, and he has the longstanding support of his family: wife, Susan, and children, Emily and Aaron.
"They have been so understanding, and I don't take that for granted," Newton says. "They have had to sacrifice a lot without having me around for so many things I missed. They have always been great. They know this is important; it's part of what I do and who I am. My employers at Purdue also have been very understanding, and I appreciate that."
Looking ahead
Over the years, Newton has grown as a broadcaster, perhaps in no greater way than his emotional attachment. Nothing beats winning, but no broadcaster has ever gotten credit for a victory or blame for a loss.
"I used to take losing really hard, but after a while, I came to realize that I have no control over whether the team wins or loses," Newton says. "The only thing I have control over is what goes out over the air. And you need to have that separation where you put your emotions aside just a little bit. But to this day, if we're in a close game with two minutes left, I'm still getting butterflies. And I think when that stops happening is when it's time to take off the headset and let somebody else put it on.
"I will do this for as long as they want me to do it, as long as I'm healthy and as long as I feel I can maintain the standard that I have for myself. I don't have an end date in mind, but I can tell you it's not going to be 2,000 games. Maybe 1,500. We'll see. How about we just go for 1,001?"
Purdue will recognize Newton with Tim Newton Night on Jan. 2 when the Boilermakers play host to Rutgers – one day shy of the 33rd anniversary of his first game. For those counting, that will be game No. 1,002.
"It's just a number, and it means I have been doing this a long time," Newton says. "I got from my dad a work ethic that follows the old saying, 'The best ability is availability.' And I think that's the one thing I've prided myself on for 30-plus years: I have never missed a game because of illness. It has been a lot of fun doing this for as long as I have because I've enjoyed the people I've worked with and I respect the program's accomplishments."
Based on the best research available, Newton and LSU's Patrick Wright will be the only active radio voices to reach 1,000 women's basketball games called and likely the only ones ever. Wright is also slated to reach the mark in December.
Newton has been behind the microphone for the 1999 NCAA Tournament championship, 25 trips to the NCAA Tournament, three appearances in the WNIT, all seven Big Ten Conference regular-season championships in program history and all nine conference tournament titles. Before Newton started, the then-16-year-old program had yet to win a Big Ten championship, made just three postseason appearances and played only 406 total games.
"Tim is a living history of modern-day Purdue women's basketball," says Lin Dunn, the Boilermakers' head coach from 1987-96 and a member of the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame. "From his first call through all the Big Ten championships, Final Fours and a national championship, he has seen it all, and his longevity is remarkable. I was always impressed with his professionalism – preparation, attention to detail and the joy he exhibited when calling a game. He's simply the best."
How it started
Prior to the 1990-91 season, WBAA (920 AM) station manager David Bunte asked Newton if he would be interested in broadcasting women's basketball games. WBAA had not covered the sport previously, nor had any commercial station in Greater Lafayette. Newton, working for the Purdue News Service then, had volunteered at WBAA as a student and broadcast men's and women's basketball games for his residence hall radio station. A 1981 Purdue graduate with a degree in mass communication, Newton began his professional broadcasting career as the sports director at WASK Radio in Lafayette from 1982-86 and then was a sportswriter for the Journal & Courier from 1987-89.
WBAA hired Newton and began airing games with the start of the Big Ten campaign on Jan. 3, 1991. Game No. 1 came against Ohio State at Mackey. The third-ranked Boilermakers were undefeated with a 10-0 record and boasted a roster forged to win the program's first conference championship. Purdue dominated, winning 105-45 for its first-ever victory against the Buckeyes – and went on to capture the Big Ten title.
"That was quite a way to start, and we went straight from that game to the Purdue Airport to fly out to play two days later in the Big Ten-SEC Challenge at Iowa. So we certainly hit the ground running," Newton says.
Newton called his initial game alongside Nancy Cross, former assistant coach and at the time assistant director of the John Purdue Club.
"It was a professional privilege to work side-by-side with Tim for nearly a decade and to observe his genuine commitment to share all facets of our women's basketball student-athletes through his game broadcasts," says Cross, who served as senior woman administrator for Purdue Athletics from 2000-22. "While I am not the least bit surprised that Tim will broadcast his 1,000th game, I am continually impressed that his passion, enthusiasm and love for the program, its student-athletes and coaches have never waned.
"The hallmark of Tim's broadcasts includes his picture-perfect descriptions of the action, clever turn-of-phrase insights, honest assessments and tremendous enthusiasm that you can hear in his voice. If there were a Final Four of play-by-play announcers, Tim would be there every year."
It appeared Newton's tenure would end just over two years after it started when he resigned following the 1992-93 season. The challenge of balancing a full-time job with 30-plus basketball games from November through March – not to mention being a husband and father – tugged at him. But when his replacement backed out, Newton reassessed and returned.
"I never wanted to give it up in the first place, and when they came back to me and asked me if I would reconsider, I had a better overall feeling about things," Newton says. "I would say it turned out to be a pretty good decision."
A good decision indeed
The Boilermakers reached their first Women's Final Four in 1994 – stunning Stanford on its home court in the regional championship – and unexpectedly shared the 1997 Big Ten championship in Nell Fortner's lone season as head coach. It was Purdue's third conference crown in four seasons and fourth in seven.
"I know from my time there, Tim was incredibly helpful and so professional to work with," Fortner says. "His loyalty and love for Purdue and knowledge of Purdue Athletics has not only enriched the women's basketball program, but the entire athletics department. He has had a phenomenal career."
Next came the highly anticipated 1998-99 season that began with a victory over No. 1-ranked Tennessee at Mackey and ended with a national championship in San Jose, California – with the realization that head coach Carolyn Peck was leaving afterward to become coach and general manager of the WNBA's Orlando Miracle.
"Everything about that season is a great memory and was tremendous theater," Newton says. "You had two seniors in Stephanie White and Ukari Figgs, who were playing for their third coach in four years and were determined to go out on top. The entire program rallied together, and it was special to be part of it."
Purdue fans will forever remember Newton's vintage call in the closing moments against Duke: "Ladies and gentlemen, the national champion resides in West Lafayette, Indiana, as Katie Douglas throws the ball skyward. It's over. Purdue wins 62-45, capturing the national championship."
The Boilermakers returned to the title game two years later under head coach Kristy Curry, falling 68-66 to Notre Dame in the final seconds. Newton calls that loss the most painful of his career. "I can't even think of a close second," he says. "It's still heartbreaking to have been that close to winning two titles in three years."
Says Curry about Newton: "Tim's dedication and love for our sport through the years is truly special. He has shared so many special moments with the Purdue family."
Former Purdue player Sharon Versyp became head coach in 2006 and led the Boilermakers to four Big Ten Tournament championships and two NCAA Tournament Elite Eight appearances in her 15 seasons.
"Tim appreciated, cared about and believed in our sport back in the day when I was a player and then as head coach," Versyp says. "His passion for the game, the professional coverage and excitement he brought every day and every game throughout the seasons is second to none. He always saw and spoke positively and made all athletes feel a part of something special on and off the court. Tim is one of my all-time favorite people besides being the very dedicated and best voice of women's basketball in the country."
Another alumna, Katie Gearlds, took over the program in 2021 and has the Boilermakers on the road back to national prominence.
"I've enjoyed working with all six head coaches and never had an issue with any of them, and I'm proud of that," says Newton, who also has hosted a weekly coaches show since the 1999-2000 season. "I think they trust me, that I'll have their back and I'm not going to say anything to undercut what they're trying to do. And the more they trust you, the more information they give you and the better it makes your broadcast."
Broadcasts moved from WBAA to Artistic Media after the 1997-98 season and currently are aired on WBPE (95.3 FM) through the Boilermaker Sports Network, which Learfield Audio and Purdue Sports Properties manage.
"For 34 years, Tim has been the steady voice behind Purdue women's basketball – a play-by-play voice whose passion and dedication has become synonymous with the rich tradition of the program," says Mark Walpole, general manager of Purdue Sports Properties. "Reaching 1,000 games is a tremendous milestone, and we couldn't be prouder to have Tim as the voice of Purdue women's basketball."
Alongside my partner
Newton has had a handful of color analysts, most notably former Purdue player Jane (Calhoun) Schott, who played for the Boilermakers from 1987-92 and began broadcasting a few years later.
"It has been an honor to work alongside Tim for so many years," Schott says. "He puts so much time into his work because he cares so much, not only about calling a good game but about the women's basketball program and the people associated with it. He raised the level of awareness of the Boilermakers with his very first broadcast and continues to do so three decades later.
"I know fans who, for games that are televised, will turn down the sound on their TV and listen to the radio because they want to hear Tim. That's the ultimate compliment."
Among his other partners through the years have been Boilermaker alumnae Courtney (Moses) Delks, Joy Holmes-Harris and Teri Moren. He also was joined at times by past sports information/athletics communications staff members Kathleen Offer, Jim Ross, Tom Schott and Sara White, as well as Marcy Girton, a former graduate assistant with the Purdue Alumni Association.
Despite ever-growing advances in technology, there have been a handful of times when connection failures or equipment malfunctions have resulted in Newton broadcasting under less-than-ideal circumstances. Amazingly, he has even called a few games while passing a phone back and forth with his partner. Through those trials, the calm and collected Newton remained undaunted.
"You have no choice," Newton says. "It's tough, and you must adapt when you are your own engineer. The adage is, 'The show must go on,' so you find a way somehow to get the games on the radio."
Adding football to the mix
In 1995, Newton expanded his broadcasting portfolio, joining the Purdue football radio crew as pregame/halftime/postgame host and producer. He was promoted to the play-by-play chair in 2009 following the retirement of Joe McConnell, a role he continues to this day.
Newton was named the 2021 Indiana Sportscaster of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. As the top sportscaster in the state, Newton became the first Purdue broadcaster to earn the award since McConnell in 2000.
"Tim's impact on Purdue women's basketball is immeasurable," Gearlds says. "I remember listening to him as a kid during the national championship runs. I worked closely with him as a student-athlete. Now, I get to work side-by-side with the best announcer in college basketball. There isn't a better steward for our program."
Whatever the sport or broadcast, Newton is meticulous in his preparation. He credits feedback received as a student for this thoroughness.
"After a high school game I broadcast on WBAA, for which I wasn't fully prepared, I had a parent call me and very nicely, but very firmly, tell me that if I was going to do this, I needed to put the time in beforehand," Newton says. "And I've never forgotten that. It was one of the best lessons I ever had. So from that day on, I have never gone into a game without being fully prepared."
A native of Irving, New York, Newton has been a Purdue employee since 1989. After the News Service, he worked for the Purdue Alumni Association from 1992-99, serving as the Purdue Alumnus magazine editor. He has spent the last 24 years as director of external relations and communications for the Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr. School of Business.
Newton's dual careers require him to be a wizard when it comes to time management, and he has the longstanding support of his family: wife, Susan, and children, Emily and Aaron.
"They have been so understanding, and I don't take that for granted," Newton says. "They have had to sacrifice a lot without having me around for so many things I missed. They have always been great. They know this is important; it's part of what I do and who I am. My employers at Purdue also have been very understanding, and I appreciate that."
Looking ahead
Over the years, Newton has grown as a broadcaster, perhaps in no greater way than his emotional attachment. Nothing beats winning, but no broadcaster has ever gotten credit for a victory or blame for a loss.
"I used to take losing really hard, but after a while, I came to realize that I have no control over whether the team wins or loses," Newton says. "The only thing I have control over is what goes out over the air. And you need to have that separation where you put your emotions aside just a little bit. But to this day, if we're in a close game with two minutes left, I'm still getting butterflies. And I think when that stops happening is when it's time to take off the headset and let somebody else put it on.
"I will do this for as long as they want me to do it, as long as I'm healthy and as long as I feel I can maintain the standard that I have for myself. I don't have an end date in mind, but I can tell you it's not going to be 2,000 games. Maybe 1,500. We'll see. How about we just go for 1,001?"
Purdue will recognize Newton with Tim Newton Night on Jan. 2 when the Boilermakers play host to Rutgers – one day shy of the 33rd anniversary of his first game. For those counting, that will be game No. 1,002.