Matt Millen‘s battle with a rare condition will take him off the air for the foreseeable future.
In a release Wednesday, the Big Ten Network announced that Millen will not return to the broadcast booth in 2018 “as he continues to pursue treatment for amyloidosis.” The Mayo Clinic describes amyloidosis as “a rare disease that occurs when a substance called amyloid builds up in your organs. Amyloid is an abnormal protein that is produced in your bone marrow and can be deposited in any tissue or organ.”
“We will certainly miss seeing Matt this fall, but his health is the clear priority for everyone involved and we plan to support him in any way possible,” said Mark Hulsey, senior vice president of production and executive producer at BTN, in a statement.
Millen, who was diagnosed with the disease in 2011, revealed in late April of this year that he’ll very likely need a heart transplant.
The former Penn State All-American has been a color analyst for the Big Ten Network since 2015. He had worked five games this season with play-by-play partner Kevin Kugler before his battle forced him away.