BILLY PACKER OUT KELLOGG IN

BILLY PACKER OUT – KELLOGG IN Billy Packer won’t be part of CBS Sports’ road to the Final Four after 27 years as the network’s lead analyst, according to sister publication SportsBusiness Journal. Packer, who lives in Charlotte and also works on college basketball broadcasts for locally based Raycom Sports, has teamed with Jim Nantz on NCAA men’s basketball tournament coverage for years. He also called regular-season games for CBS. Many regard Packer as the signature voice of college basketball because of his prominent network role. During his lengthy broadcasting career, Packer, who played in the Atlantic Coast Conference at Wake Forest during the 1960s, became known for his blunt perspective, including his criticisms of mid-major colleges appearing in the NCAA tournament and players leaving the college ranks early to play in the NBA. “There have been few analysts in any sport that could break a game down as well as Billy Packer did basketball,” says Terry Hanson, a Charlotte-based industry consultant and a former Turner Sports executive. “He had a great run at CBS.” A CBS spokesman could not be reached for immediate comment Monday. The SportsBusiness Journal report names Clark Kellogg as Packer’s replacement for the upcoming season.