“What a road we’ve traveled together,” Musburger told his TV audience after Tuesday’s game. “Thanks so much to you for sharing your time with me. What great memories we’ve had over the last almost 50 years. But now, it’s time for me to turn over the play-by-play duties to those fine young announcers who are growing up at ESPN.

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“Make no mistake about it, I’m gonna miss games like this. I’m gonna miss working with all the great analysts that I’ve been with through the years, but maybe you’ll pay me a visit out at my new place in Las Vegas. Why not? We could share a cold one, and maybe a win or two.

“Anyway, thank you so much for all the appreciation and all the great moments we’ve experienced together. God bless.”

The “new place in Las Vegas” to which Musburger referred is a sports handicapping business he and his family have started, one that likely hastened his departure from ABC and ESPN, for whom he had worked since 1990. Before that, the Montana native had spent 15 years as the primary play-by-play man for CBS, following stints with local affiliates.

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Along the way, Musburger happened upon what would become his signature opening line, “You are looking live …” which he reprised Tuesday. Versions of it were also included in a tribute video ESPN aired, showing many of his career highlights.

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During Tuesday’s game, ESPN also had occasion to show other clips from Musburger’s career, such as his call of Villanova’s 1985 win. Given that his partner on Tuesday’s broadcast was analyst Jay Bilas, the network also saw fit to look back at the 1986 national championship game, one Bilas’s Duke team lost to Louisville.

“Brent’s presence and delivery have come to symbolize big time sports for multiple generations of fans,” ESPN President John Skipper said in a statement last week. “When he opens with his signature ‘You are looking live,’ you sit up straight in your chair because you know something important is about to happen. Brent’s catalog of big events is unmatched, and he has skillfully guided us through some of the most dramatic and memorable moments in sports with his authentic and distinctive style. He is one of the best story-tellers to ever grace a sports booth. We and the fans will miss him.”