I don’t have announcing assignments for the earlier rounds, but I do have this press release from Westwood One Radio in regards to the coverage plans for the Final Four® which will have Omaha’s own Kevin Kugler, John Thompson and Bill Raftery on the call. For the second year in a row, Bill Walton will provide pregame, halftime and postgame analysis. And Jim Gray returns to the mic to work the sidelines, but this and The Masters will probably be his only gigs for the year, providing the NFL doesn’t return to play this year depending on how long the lockout goes.
Anyway, I don’t have the schedules for the early rounds, but this will have to suffice.
WESTWOOD ONE’S NCAA RADIO NETWORK PRESENTS COMPLETE COVERAGE OF THE 2011 NCAA MEN’S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT
— Coverage to Air on Over 450 Radio Stations Nationwide–
New York, NY – March 15, 2011 — Westwood One’s NCAA Radio Network is proud to present complete coverage of the 2011 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament beginning on Tuesday, March 15, 2011. Full play-by-play coverage from 35 men’s basketball games includes the newly created “First Four”, action from all eight second-round and third-round sites, four select regional semifinals, all four regional finals and all three games from the NCAA Men’s Final Four in Houston. Westwood One will also broadcast the Division II Men’s Basketball Championship game from Springfield, MA on Saturday, March 26, 2011.
Complete tournament coverage will be heard on over 450 radio stations nationwide. Additionally, Westwood One’s NCAA Radio Network will provide Sirius/XM Satellite Radio with the broadcast of all 67 games in their entirety and all 67 Men’s Division I games will be streamed online for millions more to enjoy via the web.
“68 teams, 21 days, one network. Only Westwood One brings every second of the most anticipated college sports event of the year to radio and online listeners nationwide,” said Howard Deneroff, SVP and Executive Producer of Westwood One Sports. “This year, with more teams and more games than ever before, we are even more excited for the madness to begin.”
Kevin Kugler will provide play-by-play from the Final Four, with former Georgetown and Hall of Fame coach John Thompson and former Seton Hall coach Bill Raftery adding color commentary. Hall of Famer and three-time NCAA Player of the Year Bill Walton will also provide analysis during the pregame, halftime and postgame shows. Emmy-winning sportscaster Jim Gray returns as courtside reporter and John Tautges completes the lineup as pregame and halftime host for Westwood One’s Final Four™ coverage. Westwood One will also present The Final Four Show and Championship Monday, hosted by John Tautges. The Final Four Show will air two and a half hours prior to the National Semifinals, while Championship Monday will air two hours before the National Championship game.
Fans who wish to find a radio station airing Westwood One’s broadcast of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament in their area can log on to the nationwide station finder at www.westwoodonesports.com
In addition to coverage of the men’s games, Westwood One also produces an outstanding lineup of college basketball programming including: the one-hour daily feature The NCAA Tournament Today hosted by John Tautges; Great Moments in Tournament History, a 60-second daily historical feature, narrated by Kevin Kugler, as well as Selection Sunday, hosted by John Tautges and John Thompson.
Westwood One’s NCAA Radio Network will also originate three games of play-by-play coverage from the NCAA Women’s Final Four in Indianapolis on April 3rd and April 5th. Beth Mowins and Debbie Antonelli will broadcast the NCAA Women’s Final Four to radio stations nationwide. Joe Tolleson will host pregame, halftime and postgame coverage. Additionally, Westwood One will once again provide coverage of all four NCAA Women’s Regional Finals on March 28th and March 29th.
Westwood One’s NCAA Radio Network is the exclusive provider of complete NCAA basketball coverage including major conference championships, March Madness®, the NCAA Men’s Final Four™ and Championship Game, as well as the NCAA Women’s Final Four® and Championship Game.
And that will do it for us.
