CBS, TNT reveal broadcast crews for March Madness

March is finally here, and along with it comes the NCAA Tournament.

And on Wednesday, CBS Sports and TNT Sports announced who would be calling the March Madness action once the tournament tips off in a couple weeks.

The lead team returns in its entirety. Ian Eagle will serve as play-by-play for the third consecutive season after replacing Jim Nantz in 2024. Bill Raftery and Grant Hill return as game analysts, with Tracy Wolfson working the sidelines. As usual, the lead team will call games in each round of the tournament, including both Final Four games and the National Championship.

Of the top-four broadcast teams, each of which will call games through the regional finals, only one crew saw any changes compared to last year. CBS and TNT have inserted rising star Robbie Hummel as an analyst into Kevin Harlan’s broadcast team alongside Stan Van Gundy and reporter Lauren Shehadi. Hummel replaces analyst Dan Bonner, who featured on the team last season.

The other two teams to call regional finals remained the same. Brian Anderson, Jim Jackson, and Allie LaForce continue their run together, and Andrew Catalon, Steve Lappas, and Evan Washburn also remain together this season.

Further down the roster, there are a few notable changes. Play-by-play voice Brandon Gaudin joins the March Madness team in place of Lisa Byington, who will not return this season. Gaudin will be teamed up with analyst Chris Webber and reporter Andy Katz. The crew will call games during the first and second rounds.

Play-by-play announcer Tom McCarthy is getting two new analysts this season. Candace Parker and Dan Bonner will replace Debbie Antonelli and Steve Smith on McCarthy’s team. AJ Ross remains the sideline reporter.

Last of the changes, Brad Nessler’s team is also getting a new analyst. Wally Szczerbiak is trading his studio gig for a game analyst role, joining Nessler’s crew. Jared Greenberg replaces Dana Jacobson as a reporter for that team.

Finally, the trio of play-by-play voice Spero Dedes, analyst Jim Spanarkel, and reporter Jon Rothstein returns for another season of first and second round games.

Prior to Wednesday’s announcement, CBS and TNT had already revealed some key changes to this year’s coverage. Nate Burleson will debut as a host out of the New York studio, replacing Ernie Johnson for the first couple weeks of the tournament. Johnson will return for the Final Four and National Championship. The New York-based analyst team will include Clark Kellogg, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, and Renee Montgomery. Down in Atlanta, Bruce Pearl, Jamal Mashburn, Jalen Rose, and Seth Davis will hold down the fort along with host Adam Lefkoe. Notably, Jay Wright will not be in studio this year after announcing he was leaving broadcasting before the season.

Perhaps the coolest part of Wednesday’s announcement had nothing to do with the primary broadcast crews or studio teams, but the First Four. As was announced last December, Dick Vitale will call a First Four game alongside Charles Barkley. It is the first time in the legendary broadcaster’s career that he will call an NCAA Tournament game for a U.S. audience. Brian Anderson will serve as play-by-play with Jenny Dell on assignment as a sideline reporter.

Overall, CBS and TNT kept the popular teams intact and made some slight changes on the margins. The two biggest shifts will likely prove to be Burleson’s debut in studio and Hummel’s elevation to a regional final team. It wouldn’t be surprising if both Burleson and Hummel continue to hold marquee roles during March Madness for years to come.