College GameDay rolls into Tuscaloosa this weekend. ESPN’s college football pregame show will be live at the site of Alabama vs. Texas, a matchup of the sport’s biggest heavyweights. Over the years, GameDay has been the home of some great journalism and feature stories. That trend looks sure to continue during this weekend’s festivities. ESPN is set to pay tribute to longtime Alabama football radio voice Eli Gold.
ESPN’s Ryan McGee posted Thursday night that he was “really excited to be a part of this project for @CollegeGameDay. My old racetrack friend Eli Gold is back in the booth in Tuscaloosa after an unthinkable year fighting off cancer and death. ‘The Gold Standard’ airs Saturday morning from Tuscaloosa.'”
I am really excited to be a part of this project for @CollegeGameDay. My old racetrack friend Eli Gold is back in the booth in Tuscaloosa after an unthinkable year fighting off cancer and death. "The Gold Standard" airs Saturday morning from Tuscaloosa. pic.twitter.com/AAYzwJ2ZwQ
— Ryan McGee (@ESPNMcGee) September 7, 2023
Gold gained attention over the last year for his battle with cancer. The beloved Crimson Tide radio host said in August that he was both “nervous” and “excited” to return to the booth this season. He learned in April that he was cancer-free, as he won the battle after a debilitating year that cost him 148 pounds. But he seems eager as ever to get back to doing what he does best.
His return comes with a celebration of his life and career in the form of ESPN’s piece on GameDay. The preview video looks as good as ever, and they’ve set a high standard. So come Saturday morning, all eyes will be watching what should be a moving tribute to one of the best radio announcers in the game today.
About Chris Novak
Chris Novak has been talking and writing about sports ever since he can remember. Previously, Novak wrote for and managed sites in the SB Nation network for nearly a decade from 2013-2022