In December, the sports world lost legendary announcer Greg Gumbel, who died after a lengthy battle with cancer. Gumbel had a storied career, but he is perhaps most remembered for his association with the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.
Gumbel began hosting the NCAA Tournament Selection Show in 1998 and continued in that role until last year. He missed the 2024 telecast for undisclosed reasons, though his later-revealed cancer diagnosis explained his absence.
That ended a streak of 25 years hosting one of the most important sports studio broadcasts in America.
Ahead of the first NCAA Tournament Selection Show since Gumbel passed away, social media users poured in tributes for the legend, remembering all the great moments that he delivered to sports fans over the decades.
Certainly, it’s expected that CBS will spend some time during Sunday’s broadcast remembering Gumbel, an honor that he most definitely earned. Gumbel was considered one of the most professional broadcasters ever and his career spanned over 50 years.
UPDATE: The entire crew for the NCAA Tournament Selection Show donned Rolling Stones t-shirts as a tribute to Gumbel, as the Stones were his favorite band.
Following a touching tribute to Gumbel, CBS played “Start Me Up” by the Rolling Stones as yet another nod to the legendary broadcaster.
As many users noted, it’s weird to watch the NCAA Tournament Selection Show without Gumbel, who has become practically synonymous with the much-anticipated yearly bracket reveal.
CBS veteran Adam Zucker will take over Gumbel’s role, and he has massive shoes to fill. There’s nothing quite like trying to replace a legend, as many have learned throughout the history of sports.
Normally, we think about it in terms of replacing a legendary player, but as someone who has spent his career in the sports media, I can tell you that replacing a legendary broadcaster comes with a lot of pressure.
That being said, Zucker is well-equipped to handle the gig. He’s been at CBS for over 20 years and has hosted a lot of CBS college basketball studio shows.
It’s impossible to replicate what Greg Gumbel meant to the NCAA Tournament, and to sports fans in general, and he will be missed.
