Report: Greg Gumbel to sit out 2024 NCAA Tournament coverage due to ‘family health issues’

Long time CBS studio host Greg Gumbel will sit out the 2024 NCAA Tournament due to “family health issues,” according to Richard Deitsch of The Athletic.

“CBS/WBD’s NCAA men’s basketball tournament broadcast assignments usually get announced this week but one small piece of news: Greg Gumbel won’t be working the tournament this year as he deals with family health issues,” Deitsch wrote on Twitter. “Look for Ernie Johnson to pick up more studio time.”

Johnson, who is most associated with Inside The NBA on TNT, is likely to take point and be the most used host for tournament coverage this year.

Gumbel, 77, returned to CBS in 1998 following a stint at NBC. He was appointed as studio host for coverage of college basketball and for the NCAA Tournament.

Gumbel used to be the lead announcer for NFL coverage with Phil Simms as his color analyst until 2003 when he traded spots with Jim Nantz, returning to the studio.

At the end of the 2005 season, James Brown took over for Gumbel and the latter returned to the booth as the No. 2 play-by-play man. After the 2022 NFL season, Gumbel’s NFL duties were over but CBS extended his contract to continue studio coverage of college basketball.

CBS breaks record ahead of NCAA Tournament

Iowa and Nebraska women’s basketball made history as the most watched women’s conference tournament game. It was a banner day for the Big Ten.

“CBS Sports delivers the most-watched women’s college basketball conference tournament game ever on any network as the Big Ten Championship between Iowa and Nebraska averaged more than 3 million viewers and peaked with 4.450 million viewers in OT,” a release from CBS Sports read.

Caitlin Clark and the Hawkeyes kept it rolling with an epic victory over the Huskers, 94-89.

After the game, Clark spoke with sideline reporter AJ Ross on the whirlwind final eight minutes to the game.

She said the first half simply wasn’t good enough “across the board” and said the team had no choice but to figure it out at halftime and respond with a strong second half. “We never gave up. Proud of us.”