Bill Baker’s 44th football season to be his last calling NIU football

DeKALB – The man famous for saying goodbye to whatever school the NIU football team had just beat will be saying goodbye to DeKalb.

Bill Baker announced Tuesday at NIU Media Day that this season, his 44th at the school, will be his last. He will retire as voice of the Huskies when the football season ends.

“He loves the Huskies, he’s passionate about it. Things that he’s been able to do and say, talk about. Specifically. Goodbye Toledo. It’s my favorite. I’ll just say that because the passion that he brings to the table.”

—  Sean Frazier, NIU athletic director

“He is our voice, our legend,” athletic director Sean Frazier said, introducing Baker for the surprise announcement at the end of the Huskies’ annual DeKalb Media Day. “Somebody that welcomed me in a decade ago. And just brings chills to all the listeners, all the viewers that had an opportunity to listen to him. It’s so much more than just being the voice of the Huskies, it’s his commitment. This is his 44th year and it’s been magical, this ride. Over his time, 507 football games, 287 consecutive. He only missed one game.”

Baker said that one missed football came in the 1990s. The final NIU football game of the season coincided with the Huskies basketball team opening the season in Florida. With the football team having no bowl chance, he went to the basketball game.

In addition to the 507 football games, Baker estimates he’s called several thousand games over multiple sports for the Huskies. He also has called more than 1,200 basketball games.

Baker remembers his first game Sept. 5, 1980. His first play was an NIU kick return for a touchdown by Mike Pinkney as the Huskies beat Long Beach State in Anaheim.

“It couldn’t get any better,” Baker said. “I got home, and I thought it just couldn’t get any better than that. It did. It got really good.”

Baker’s 44th and final football season begins Sept. 2 at Boston College. The team will honor Baker with an on-the-field ceremony at the home opener Sept. 9 against Southern Illinois.

The Huskies head to Toledo on Sept. 30.

“He loves the Huskies, he’s passionate about it. Things that he’s been able to do and say, talk about,” Frazier said. “Specifically. ‘Goodbye, Toledo.’ It’s my favorite. I’ll just say that because the passion that he brings to the table.”

At the end of his remarks, Baker started talking to the football players directly with his request for his final season.

“The number is 14. I have 14 games remaining. OK. I have 14 football games. Now, do the math. What does that mean?” Baker said. “That means 12 regular-season games. That means a bowl game. And what comes in between? That means the MAC championship game. So guys, 14 is my number. And I would dearly love one last chance to yell, ‘Goodbye, Toledo.’”