I’m late on this. I’m doing my best to catch up over the next couple of days.
Earlier this week, CBS Sports and Turner Sports made public their announcing teams for the 2014 NCAA Tournament. There are some changes from last year.
- As previously announced, Greg Anthony joins the “A” team with Jim Nantz and Steve Kerr. They’ll call the NCAA Final Four™ and the NCAA Championship Game.
- Clark Kellogg who was on the “A” team with Nantz and Kerr returns to the studio with Greg Gumbel, Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith.
- Ernie Johnson becomes the studio host for the Final Four™ and Championship Game. TBS will air the Final Four™ while CBS will air the Championship Game.
- Andrew Catalon joins the NCAA Tournament this year as he takes Tim Brando’s place. He’ll be teamed with Mike Gminski and Otis Livingston.
- On the sidelines, CBS/Turner taps Kristine Leahy from KCBS in Los Angeles. She has come a long way from hosting WEEI’s “The Five”.
Assigned to the First Four™ games in Dayton will be Brian Anderson, Dan Bonner and Leahy on Tuesday, March 18 and Kevin Harlan, Len Elmore, Reggie Miller and Rachel Nichols on Wednesday, March 19.
The regional semifinals and final announcing teams are as follows:
- Jim Nantz/Greg Anthony//Tracy Wolfson
- Marv Albert/Steve Kerr//Craig Sager
- Uncle Verne Lundquist/Bill Raftery//Allie LaForce
- Kevin Harlan/Len Elmore/Reggie Miller//Rachel Nichols
Here is the joint release from CBS and Turner Sports.
Turner Sports and CBS Sports Announce 2014 NCAA® Division I Men’s Basketball Championship Broadcast Team
Greg Anthony Joins Jim Nantz, Steve Kerr and Tracy Wolfson to Call Final Four & National Championship
Ernie Johnson to Host Studio Coverage of Final Four & National Championship
Clark Kellogg Returns to Studio Along with Charles Barkley & Kenny Smith
Two-Time NCAA Champion Grant Hill Joins Studio Team; ?Andrew Catalon Joins as Play-by-Play AnnouncerCBS Sports and Turner Sports will feature a deep roster of marquee commentators for its fourth consecutive year of combined coverage of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship. Turner Sports and CBS Sports will once again provide live, full national coverage of the tournament’s 67 games across four networks – TBS, CBS, TNT and truTV – as well as NCAA March Madness Live, beginning Tuesday, March 18 with the NCAA First Four ™ on truTV.
The Final Four on Saturday, April 5 will be televised on TBS for the first time. The National Championship on Monday, April 7 will air on CBS.
The networks’ announcer lineup includes new roles for this year’s coverage, highlighted by Greg Anthony calling his first Final Four and National Championship game, and Ernie Johnson hosting Final Four and National Championship coverage for the first time. Following are the additional changes and announcer pairings:
Game Coverage:
- Greg Anthony moves courtside as a game analyst throughout the tournament – teaming with Jim Nantz and reporter Tracy Wolfson through the Regional Finals. Anthony joins Steve Kerr, Nantz and Wolfson to call his first NCAA Final Four and National Championship from AT&T Stadium in North Texas.
- Andrew Catalon joins as a play-by-play announcer, teaming with Mike Gminksi and Otis Livingston, to call second and third-round action.
Studio Coverage:
- Ernie Johnson will host studio coverage from the Final Four and National Championship with analysts Charles Barkley, Clark Kellogg and Kenny Smith. They will be joined by Greg Gumbel along with analysts Reggie Miller, Seth Davis, Grant Hill, Doug Gottlieb and college coaches.
- Clark Kellogg returns to the studio with fellow analysts Barkley and Kenny Smith throughout the tournament, along with hosts Gumbel and Johnson from the CBS Broadcast Center in New York for the first two weeks.
- Grant Hill joins as a studio analyst, teaming with host Matt Winer and analysts Steve Smith and Seth Davis from Turner Studios in Atlanta throughout the tournament. Doug Gottlieb contributes in Atlanta beginning with Regional Semifinal action.
Following are the complete list of announcer pairings for the second and third rounds (Thursday, March 20 through Sunday, March 23):
Play-By-Play / Analyst // Reporter
*Regional Weekend Announce Teams
Jim Nantz / Greg Anthony // Tracy Wolfson*
Marv Albert / Steve Kerr // Craig Sager*
Verne Lundquist / Bill Raftery // Allie LaForce*
Kevin Harlan / Reggie Miller / Len Elmore // Rachel Nichols*
Ian Eagle / Jim Spanarkel // Lewis Johnson
Brian Anderson / Dan Bonner // Kristine Leahy
Spero Dedes / Doug Gottlieb // Jaime Maggio
Andrew Catalon / Mike Gminski // Otis LivingstonThe tournament tips off Tuesday, March 18 and Wednesday, March 19 with the NCAA First Four™ on truTV. Brian Anderson will call Tuesday’s games with analyst Dan Bonner and reporter Kristine Leahy from Dayton, Ohio. Kevin Harlan handles play-by-play on Wednesday alongside analysts Len Elmore and Reggie Miller and reporter Rachel Nichols. Studio coverage for the First Four originates from Atlanta with Winer and analysts Davis, Hill and Steve Smith.
That will do it.
