This year, Ian Eagle is taking over as March Madness’s lead TV play-by-play voice for the Final Four and national championship game. Based on his work in the Big Ten Tournament, the CBS Sports announcer is already in rare form.
Fans were already raving about Eagle’s call of Saturday’s wild overtime ending to Purdue vs. Wisconsin. However, he kicked things up a notch on Sunday while calling the conference championship between Wisconsin and Illinois.
"THIS IS WHAT MARCH FEELS LIKE!!!" ~ Ian Eagle https://t.co/GgRxzZxTTH
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 16, 2024
Eagle and analyst Bill Raftery remain an iconic college basketball announcing pair and their repartee was on display early on.
https://twitter.com/awfulannouncing/status/1769452592629944774
Eagle also made sure to give Raferty some guff over one his pre-game prep routine.
Bill Raftery: "I think it was the game prep last night: a spotted cow, to relax …"
Ian Eagle: "Wait, your game prep or Greg's game prep?" pic.twitter.com/fQlVP8vp42
— Kyle Boone (@kyletheboone) March 17, 2024
Eagle was also right there later to cheekily take Raftery’s Abe Lincoln quip to task.
https://twitter.com/awfulannouncing/status/1769474685601976647
And when it came down to it and the Illini wrapped up their Big Ten title, Eagle was ready with the great “Pop the Champagne/Champaign” call.
https://twitter.com/awfulannouncing/status/1769483879663247610
While it’s no surprise that Eagle would excel in this position, his calls this past week have only excited college basketball fans even more about what lies ahead in the NCAA Tournament.
Ian Eagle really is the best PBP voice for college basketball. Plays straight man, dumb pun maker, and fan of cool basketball stuff all at once. He celebrates the sport's absurdity without trivializing it or going over the top. Glad we'll to get to hear him on another Tournament.
— Chandler Elsbecker (@CKElsbecker) March 17, 2024
It’s weird not hearing Nantz on this game, but Ian Eagle is so good. He’s going to kill it in the Final Four. https://t.co/YMaOYjuIuk
— Brendan Dzwierzynski (@BrendanDzw) March 17, 2024
Let's say this first: FWIW Jim Nantz is a fine broadcaster. He's not a good basketball announcer. In that, he's not alone (see Al Michaels on the NBA). That said, CBS has made an incredible upgrade in making Ian Eagle the lead CBB PxP voice for the NCAA tournament.
— Milton Kent (@SportsAtLarge) March 17, 2024
that was a top tier ‘OH YEAH’ from ian eagle in a long career of fantastic oh yeahs
— J. Kyle Mann (@jkylemann) March 17, 2024
"ILLINOIS IS IN THE DAINJA ZONE!" — Ian Eagle
— Matt Zemek (@MattZemek) March 17, 2024
Ian Eagle is going to be great as the lead announcer. https://t.co/jalGbNORjW
— https://linktr.ee/thispersonstinks (@tracytran) March 17, 2024
We can’t wait to hear what Eagle has in store for us when March Madness truly gets underway this week.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.