Greg Byrne announces Eli Gold’s exit from the Alabama football

admin | February 27, 2024 | Other Clubs | No Comments

On Monday, Greg Byrne declined to answer a question about his choice not to keep Eli Gold as Alabama football’s Crimson Tide Sports Network play-by-play broadcaster.

“We wish Eli nothing but the best going forward,” Byrne stated ahead of his appearance at the Birmingham Tip Off Club’s Monday meeting.

Gold has been calling Alabama games since the 1988 season before the decision to not invite him back following the offseason. CTSN claimed it had given Gold a reduced role in the broadcast as well as the opportunity to cover the A-Day game in April, but he declined.

Chris Stewart, the basketball play-by-play announcer who called Alabama’s road games in 2023 and stepped in for a sick Gold for the entirety of 2022, will take on the full-time football role next season. Before being asked if the choice was his, Byrne mentioned the alteration.

“We have a great partnership with Learfield with our multimedia rights,” Byrne went on to say. “Eli and the other broadcasters are basically contract workers for them. Eli had a significant impact on our university and its programs, and he did an excellent job as our play-by-play announcer. We wish him the best of luck and are forward to see what the future holds for Chris Stewart.

Gold will announce games for the Nashville Kats in the new Arena Football League. He made it clear after the announcement of his Alabama departure that he is not retiring from radio.

“The university has chosen not to bring me back,” Gold told AL.com about the decision. “This is absolutely not health-related. I am quite healthy. Everything is fantastic. “I am as healthy as a horse.”