The network kicked off its annual Selection Sunday show with a Gumbel tribute, which featured him speaking into the camera explaining why he felt the the NCAA tournament was so special. Gumbel, who spent decades as the voice of CBS’s college basketball coverage, died in December. He was 78.

The late CBS announcer died in December of 2024 after a battle with cancer, and the tributes poured in from everywhere, and rightfully so. If you're wondering why he's not on the air for the 2025 Selection Sunday broadcast for CBS and was replaced by Adam Zucker -- who replaced Gumbel back in 2024 -- now you know.

In honor of his career as a sportscaster and the work he did that made him an indelible part of March Madness, CBS Sports honored the memory of Greg Gumbel during the network's Selection Sunday show ahead of the NCAA Tournament.