Alabama football fans received some bad news on Wednesday morning. Longtime Alabama football radio play-by-play announcer Eli Gold, the voice of the Crimson Tide since the 1988 season, will miss the start of the 2022 college campaign due to health issues, as noted by Bruce Feldman of The Athletic.

Eli Gold will be replaced in the broadcast booth by Chris Stewart, who is the announcer for Crimson Tide basketball games. Stewart has also appeared as a sideline reporter for Alabama football games in recent years.

He'll also host the Nick Saban Radio show, which will air on Thursday nights during the season. Gold had ran up a streak of 409 consecutive Alabama football games called until he tested positive for COVID-19 back in 2020 ahead of a game against the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Stewart had filled in for Gold back then- and he'll do so again to start the 2022 college football season. Alabama will give Gold as much time as he needs to recover.

The 68-year-old play-by-play announcer had signed a new deal back in 2018, which extended his contract through the 2023 season. He had stated that it was his intention to work beyond the length of the deal.

Eli Gold was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame back in 2014. Alabama football fans will have to watch the start of the 2022 campaign without hearing a familiar voice in the booth.

With a stacked roster highlighted by two Heisman Trophy candidates, the Crimson Tide will once again be an exciting product.

Here's hoping that Eli Gold will have a speedy recovery so he can get back to calling Crimson Tide games.