CBS Sports columnist Dennis Dodd's final assignment will be the Final Four in San Antonio this weekend. (Photo by Michael Grant).

If you’re a longtime college sports fan, you follow Dennis Dodd. The CBS Sports columnist is a must-read, particularly if you love college football. His 45-year career in journalism will come to an end this weekend. Dodd, 68, announced his retirement last month, with his final assignment being the Final Four in San Antonio.

The Missouri alum has spent 26 years at CBS and worked for places such as the Kansas City Star, the St. Louis Sun, The National, and the Omaha World-Herald. Last weekend, Dodd was in Indianapolis for the Midwest Region. We caught up with him there to ask about retirement and his career.

Note: This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.

Awful Announcing: Why are you retiring?

Dennis Dodd: “The simple answer is it was time after 45 years in the business and 27 at CBS. In the back of my mind, I didn’t want to be Willie Mays hitting (.211) for the ’73 Mets. It’s more time with (wife Janet and children Haley and Jack) and travel. I’ll keep my hand in it some way with freelance, but I look forward to not having to hit deadlines.”

Who were you surprised to hear from when you made your announcement?

Lisa Olson, very flattered and impressed. A bunch of coaches: Gus Malzahn, Mack Brown. Gene Chizik texted from Nepal. I assume he was on vacation. That was a blast from the past, which was great. A bunch of (athletic directors). I had a bunch of responses on Facebook when I posted it there. I felt like Sally Field at the Oscars. People really liked me. That was the takeaway, I guess.”

Do you have any specific plans?

“I’m going to sharpen my bad golf game. I want to go to games as a fan. We’re going to travel extensively. I love minor-league baseball. I love the setting of it. It’s just so laid back. I live in Kansas City. There are a bunch of teams around where my son and I could go and just hang out.”

What’s the best football game you’ve ever covered?

“Texas-USC in the ’06 Rose Bowl because it was drama from the beginning. Texas showed early on that they were going to compete. USC took the lead. Then it was back and forth. USC was up (38-26) with six minutes left and lost. I’ve done oral histories of that game. I’ve talked to players on both sides about what happened. You can debate leaving Reggie Bush on the sidelines for the fourth and two. They ran LenDale White. I don’t know if that was the end of the USC dynasty, but maybe. My favorite place is the Rose Bowl. There’s nothing like it.”

What are the top college football venues that every fan should visit?

“My favorites are LSU, Alabama, Florida, Texas, and USC. When USC is good—it’s been a while—they rule the town. They’re like a pro franchise. Death Valley is probably No.1. LSU because you can feel it, man. You can feel it in your bones. One of the first times I went there, I can’t remember who they played but an egregious call by an official resulted in a bourbon bottle landing in the end zone. A glass bourbon bottle. Nick Saban, who was coaching then, went to that corner of the end zone and saluted the students. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him do that at Alabama. I might be wrong, but I thought that was cool.”

Is there a football game you’ve always wanted to see but were unable to?

“Montana-Montana State, those FCS schools. I love that area. I love the fans. The football is good. I’ve seen those rivalry games, and that would have been hard to do on the beat. But I think (about) doing some of those games where the stadiums are smaller, but the games are not.”

You said in your column that you won’t miss the parking. What did you mean by that?

“There’s a great line from the old president of TCU, Victor Boschini. When TCU got into the Big 12, he said everything’s better about the Power Five except parking. That hits home with me because on Saturdays, that was half the battle. To get parking was huge in some of these places. ‘OK, how early do I have to leave to get my spot?’ And look, the reader doesn’t care about the media and their parking. We’d all share stories in the press box. ‘How long does it take you to get in?'”

What’s your best story about being trapped in a stadium because you were working late?

“The best one was the (third) year of the BCS. That would have been 2000 when Oklahoma won it in Miami Gardens. I was the last one out of the press box. I walked downstairs and there was nothing open. I walked around the stadium. There was nobody outside. There were no cars. I climbed a 12-foot fence with my backpack. A cop who was making the rounds saw me, and I waved him down. I said, ‘I don’t know where my car is.’ So, we drove around for a while. My rental car was way out when we found it. I think my head hit the pillow at 5 a.m.”

What are you doing immediately after retirement?

“My son and I are going to run in Pat’s Run at Arizona State. That would be our third one…

“It’s for a good cause. The money goes to the (Pat Tillman Foundation’s) Tillman Scholars because they always select service people to give the scholarship money to every year. It’s huge, and a bonding thing with my son.”

Will you get emotional at the Final Four since it’s the end?

“That’ll be special. My goal is to work hard and see all my friends and colleagues. Maybe not for the last time, but just to see them. San Antonio is the best. That’s a place where you can walk from the hotel to the Alamodome. No parking problem.”

About Michael Grant

Born in Jamaica. Grew up in New York City. Lives in Louisville, Ky. Sports writer. Not related to Ulysses S. Grant.