Kudos to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald for breaking the news that Billy Packer will not return to CBS as the top analyst for college basketball. Packer has been with CBS since it obtained the rights for the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament in 1981. He has called 34 consecutive Final Fours and was partnered with Dick Enberg and Al McGuire in what has been acknowledged to be one of the best announcing teams of all time.
It’s expected that Clark Kellogg will join Jim Nantz courtside.
John Ourand and Terry Lefton of the Sports Business Journal also report that Greg Anthony who was an ESPN NBA analyst and did work on CBS College Sports for the NCAA Tournament is expected to replace Kellogg in the studio.
Reid Cherner and Tom Weir of the excellent Game On! blog on USA Today also check in on the news.
Patrick Stevens of the Washington Times says it will be strange not to hear Packer calling the Final Four next year.
CBS is expected to make a formal announcement today.
