Ernie Johnson pays emotional tribute to Greg Gumbel ahead of ‘One Shining Moment’
As is tradition following the national championship, “One Shining Moment” signs off the CBS broadcast. This year, however, it was a bit more emotional.
Ernie Johnson introduced the video, sitting in the seat previously held by the late Greg Gumbel. An icon during March Madness, Gumbel died of cancer in December – and his presence was felt throughout the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
But tossing the broadcast to “One Shining Moment” served as the exclamation point to the three-week sprint that is March Madness. It was Gumbel’s way of signing off tournament coverage, and Johnson paid tribute before the video rolled.
“Now, we wrap up our coverage from San Antonio with a moment our late colleague and our beloved friend Greg Gumbel relished,” Johnson said into the camera. “A chance to say, ‘Here is One Shining Moment.’”
Tributes poured in to Gumbel from the moment the bracket came out. Johnson and the crew acknowledged his absence right away, and CBS broadcasters both in the studio and on the sidelines donned pins in his honor throughout the event.
When the Round of 64 came on the air, “Waiting on a Friend” by the Rolling Stones played in the background. That was Gumbel’s favorite band, and the behind-the-scenes crew in the studio donned the iconic logo on their shirts during Selection Sunday.
“Nobody loved the stones more than Greg Gumbel,” Johnson said to open the broadcast. “And a year ago at this time we were waiting on a friend to return. We knew he was missing March Madness, an event for which his name is synonymous, for personal reasons.
“Just after Christmas, we learned that cancer had taken his life and we were crushed. A void was left that will never be filled. We wear his pin on our jackets and we carry his memory in our hearts. Here with Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith, Clark Kellogg. It’s heavy in here.”
Gumbel initially joined CBS in 1988 as a part-time announcer and later hosted The NFL Today from 1990-93. He then left the network to join NBC in 1994 after CBS lost the rights to the NFL and MLB, but returned in 1998 following Super Bowl XXXII. That’s when he became the host for the NCAA Tournament, anchoring March Madness coverage.
Gumbel remained in that role as March Madness host while also serving as a play-by-play broadcaster for NFL games. He missed the 2024 NCAA Tournament due to family health issues, meaning the 2023 tournament marked his final March Madness on the desk.
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