HOUSTON, Texas, April 4, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — Legendary broadcaster Jim Nantz called his final NCAA Tournament game Monday night, celebrating one last shining moment with the national champion UConn Huskies.
It was the 37th NCAA Tournament for Nantz, 63, the longtime CBS Sports broadcaster who announced he’s stepping away from March Madness to spend more time with his family. The onetime Utah broadcaster will remain CBS Sports’ lead NFL announcer and anchor the network’s golf coverage.
“One thing I learned through all of this is everybody has a dream and everybody has a story to tell,” Nantz said at the close the broadcast. “Just try to find that story. Be kind.”
Then with gratitude, he signed off.
“To you, everybody in the college game, our CBS family, my family, all the viewers, thank you for being my friend.”
CBS Sports called Nantz “the storyteller of the Men’s Final Four” in a tweet prior to tipoff, along with highlights from his memorable March Madness calls over years.
He explained his decision to step away from calling college basketball in a recent interview with CBS News.
“I’m not retiring in any capacity,” he said. “It’s just I want to be home a little more often. My kids need daddy at home, and daddy needs to be with them more, too. So something had to give. It was a difficult decision, but I don’t regret it.”
Nantz’s final game lacked the last-second drama he’s famously voiced over the years, as UConn cruised to a 76-59 victory over San Diego State.
Prior to joining CBS in 1985, Nantz became a local favorite at KSL-TV in Salt Lake City. He worked as a weekend sports anchor for the then-CBS affiliate in 1982-85 while also broadcasting Utah Jazz games with Hot Rod Hundley and calling BYU football games — including the Cougars’ national championship run in 1984.
Nantz is a member of the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame, a three-time Emmy Award-winner and five-time National Sportscaster the Year. He has been the lead play-by-play voice CBS Sports’ NFL coverage since 2004.
From 1986-90, Nantz served as host of CBS Sports’ coverage of the NCAA Tournament and Final Four. He became the network’s lead play-by-play announcer for college basketball in 1990, calling games alongside Billy Packer. Since 2015, Nantz has teamed with Bill Raftery and Grant Hill to call regular-season and NCAA Tournament basketball games.
