Iconic sports broadcaster Greg Gumbel has died.
CBS shared a statement on behalf of Gumbel’s family confirming that the longtime CBS host died at 78. Gumbel “passed away peacefully surrounded by much love after a courageous battle with cancer,” the statement said.
A statement from the family of Greg Gumbel pic.twitter.com/oAkSrW8EtJ
— CBS Sports PR (@CBSSportsGang) December 27, 2024
Gumbel was best known to sports fans as the CBS studio host for March Madness coverage, and had hosted the annual Selection Sunday show since 1998. He was absent for last year’s tournament, the first he had missed since joining CBS, due to what was called a family health issue. He garnered many fans in that role, both because of his skills and his no-nonsense style.
Beyond his March Madness coverage, Gumbel also did play-by-play for NFL games on CBS for over two decades across two stints with the network. He also spent two years as the host of the network’s “The NFL Today” studio show. Prior to that, he also did extensive play-by-play work for Major League Baseball games on both CBS and NBC, and anchored coverage of various major events, including college football, the College World Series, and the Olympics.
