The NCAA basketball tournament has begun in earnest, and already there are a couple of big upsets, which is of course what makes the whole thing so fun. No. 3 seed Kentucky lost to No. 14 seed Oakland on Thursday. And No. 11 Dusquene topped No. 6 Brigham Young University. No. 2 seed Arizona avoided a repeat of last year's upset, beating No. 15 Long Beach State.
It was good news for Wildcats fans, but one of the best stories of March Madness came to an end. Long Beach State fired its coach, Dan Monson, before the beginning of the Big West tournament. Then the team won the tournament, securing an NCAA bid and a spot in the hearts of basketball fans everywhere. But this is where that story ends.
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March Madness: How to watch the NCAA Tournament
Where is Greg Gumbel?
Something is missing, however. Greg Gumbel has hosted the CBS studio show during March Madness for years. But he won't be there this year. It's the first time he's missed the tournament since 1997.
Gumbel, 77, is dealing with family health issues. Ernie Johnson, the longtime host of "Inside the NBA" on TNT, is taking over some of Gumbel's hosting duties. (Johnson and the "Inside the NBA" crew, which includes Charles Barkley, cover the tournament every year.)
During Selection Sunday, when teams are chosen for the tournament, Gumbel's colleagues wished him well. Adam Zucker hosted the selection show, replacing Gumbel. "We would all like to send our best to our friend and colleague Greg Gumbel, who will sit out this year's tournament due to family health matters," Zucker said.
"I tell you, it's somewhat surreal that he's not to my right," analyst Clark Kellogg said. "He's been there a couple of decades."
Gumbel is the older brother of Bryant Gumbel, the former "Today" show host whose HBO show "Real Sports" ended in 2023.
Reach Goodykoontz at bill.goodykoontz@arizonarepublic.com. Facebook: facebook.com/GoodyOnFilm. X: @goodyk. Subscribe to the weekly movies newsletter.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Where is Greg Gumbel? Here's what we know about the CBS March Madness host's absence
