Big Game Brent has called his final Big Game.
Brent Musburger revealed Wednesday he will retire from broadcasting for good at the end of this month. His final broadcast will be a Kentucky-Georgia basketball game on Jan. 31.
Musburger, 77, joined the national scene calling NFL games for CBS in 1973. He was an integral voice in the golden era of the NBA and weaned an entire generation on professional football as studio host of "The NFL Today."
After a bitter divorce from CBS in 1990, Musburger left for ABC, where he raised another generation of fans on college football. His booming voice and over-the-top style meshed perfectly with the pageantry of college football, and he served as the network's lead voice on the sport for nearly a decade.
Musburger called seven BCS national championship games as well as dabbling in basketball, baseball and NASCAR.
"What a wonderful journey I have traveled with CBS and the Disney company," Musburger said in a statement released by ESPN. "A love of sports allows me to live a life of endless pleasure. And make no mistake, I will miss the arenas and stadiums dearly. Most of all, I will miss the folks I have met along the trail."
Every college football fan will forever close their eyes and immediately place themselves on the couch as Musburger informed us we were looking live at a consequential game played before a packed Horseshoe, Big House, Cotton Bowl, Rose Bowl or (insert stadium here).
Brent's flare for the, uh, extracurriculars beyond the game was a key to his persona. Like the time he made Katherine Webb a celebrity in a matter of seconds.
Musburger's role was diminished after ESPN elevated Chris Fowler to its lead chair on college football, moving him to become the lead voice on SEC Network's college football coverage. His final college football game will go down as Oklahoma's win over Auburn in the Sugar Bowl, a game in which Musburger became the source of controversy for his comments on the Joe Mixon assault incident -- which both sides insist has nothing to do with Musburger's departure.
Big Game Brent's next venture in life will seem entirely fitting for even the most casual of sports observer over the years. From the Associated Press:
Musburger, who is 77 years old, plans to move to Las Vegas and help his family start a sports handicapping business.