After leaving high school, Tim Newton knew that he wanted to get into sports broadcasting and joked that he would one day succeed one of his childhood idols.

“I kind of kidded with people, (saying) my real goal was replacing Howard Cosell on Monday Night Football,” Newton said. “That one didn’t quite work out.”

This fall, Newton will be taking over the play-by-play duties of retired legend Joe McConnell.

Newton grew up loving Notre Dame and, while researching the university in a college handbook, saw that Purdue was also in Indiana and decided to apply to each. After being accepted to both universities, Newton compared the two in several categories and saw that Purdue was a better choice for him.

“I’ve never regretted that,” Newton said. “The best decision I ever made was becoming a Boilermaker.”

Newton studied mass communication and fueled his love of sports by working at WBAA broadcasting high school sports, working at Purdue’s sports information office, and interning for a semester at channel WLFI-TV 18.

Like many students today, Newton left college in 1981 without having a job lined up.

“I didn’t have a job when I left school, so I went back home,” Newton said. “I answered an ad in the local paper. They were looking for a DJ. I said, ‘Well, I’m not doing anything else.’ I had no idea what I was playing. I hated country music.”

After he left the country station, Newton worked a variety of jobs, including broadcasting at WASK, and moved between New York and the Lafayette area multiple times. Finally, Newton found himself working at a downtown bank and being a part-time sportswriter at the Journal and Courier. Newton joined the Purdue News Service in 1989. He then worked for the Purdue alumni magazine before beginning his current job at the Krannert School of Management as the director of external relations and communications over ten years ago.

Newton said that his mid-life crisis came his mid-20s during what he calls his “dark period.” He did not want to be in sports broadcasting.

“The broadcasting came back by accident. I was actually at a wedding reception and somebody there mentioned that WBAA was going to start doing Purdue women’s basketball and would I be interested.”

“My career advice there is go to as many wedding receptions as possible,” Newton said.

This fall, Newton will broadcast his 21st season of Purdue women’s basketball as the play-by-play announcer. Starting in 1995, Newton also served as the producer for Purdue football broadcasts where he worked alongside play-by-play announcer Joe McConnell.

“Here’s a guy that had been doing this for 40-plus years and still had the enthusiasm of a newcomer and still prepared like it was his first or last game,” Newton said. “That was one of those just learning through watching with Joe.”

The other man that Newton says has influenced him the most was another Purdue legend, John DeCamp. DeCamp was Purdue’s football and basketball play-by-play announcer for 43 years and was also part of the Indianapolis 500 Radio Network team for 22 years.

“He gave me a lot of advice. I probably learned more during a 30 minute conversation with John than any other time at Purdue.”

Pete Quinn, color commentator for Purdue broadcasts and center for the Boilermakers from 1977-80, has enjoyed working with Newton and believes that he is the right man for the job.

“He’s very professional and he’s passionate about it. Its fun watching Tim work, because it’s obvious he loves what he does and he does it well.”

For Newton, he couldn’t ask for anything else.

“I fell in love with Purdue football my freshman year and I’ve always thought that it would be a great career capper or career goal to be the radio voice of Purdue football. So this really is the old cliche ‘a dream come true.’”

But what about Newton’s old feelings for Notre Dame? Newton says that they are long gone and has developed a “strong dislike” for the university he once wanted to attend. The fact that Notre Dame will be the first game that he calls just adds to his excitement.

“So opening and doing that as a first game, I’m sure that the adrenaline will be flowing anyway, but given that it’s Notre Dame, I’m sure the team will be up on that day and so will I,” Newton said.

Listen to Newton and Quinn on WAZY (96.5 FM) on Sept. 4 when Purdue takes on Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind.