Broadcaster Verne Lundquist will be leaving the SEC on CBS. One of the more well-known figures in the broadcasting world, Lundquist has been with the program since 2000.
“He’s going out on top,” Sean McManus, CBS Sports Chairman, told The Associated Press on Tuesday, “and everybody should be so lucky.”
After spending 24 years at ESPN, and calling Saturday night games, Brad Nessler returns to CBS to take over the reigns for Lundquist. According to McManus, Nessler was the clear choice to replace Lundquist, due to his past work with “SEC on CBS co-host, Gary Danielson. Both Danielson and Nessler worked together for ESPN.
Lundquist reflected on his career and the future ahead of him in a release from CBS.
“Now, it’s time to step back and take in the aroma of those tulips, those roses, and those daffodils that friends have been telling me about for years,” said Lundquist.
Originally, McManus said that Lundquist was disappointed when he learned that he was shifting from NFL broadcasting to college football. Despite his original disappointment, Verne thrived in his position. During the conference’s run of dominance, Lundquist has been the voice of some amazing college football games.
Perhaps the most famous of Lundquist’s calls was the “kick six”, which took place on November 30, 2013. Auburn returned a missed field goal for a touchdown to beat Alabama in the Iron Bowl. The game left Crimson Tide fans devastated, Auburn fans thrilled and the college football world shocked.
Lundquist also is known for some of his minor, yet funny, mistakes in the booth. He once said an LSU player was 76 years old.
Don’t worry sports fans. Verne won’t be completely gone. He will continue to cover college basketball for CBS. Here’s to you Verne, for covering the best conference, in the best sport, in the best way possible.
Blain Bradley is a contributor for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “Follow” him on Twitter, via @blainbradley1 or “like” him on Facebook
