Jim Nantz replacement: Who will take over as voice of Final Four in 2024
By Josh Hill
CBS has already found a Jim Nantz replacement to take over for the legendary announcer starting with the Final Four in 2024.
When the lights dimmed on UConn’s celebration after the National Championship, the curtain dropped on more than just this year’s NCAA Tournament.
Jim Nantz’s career calling March Madness games is over, as the legendary broadcaster is walking away after this year’s Final Four. The last game he called was UConn’s victory over San Diego State in the national championship game — the school’s fifth title — and it marks the end of an era for college basketball and sports broadcasting.
With Nantz stepping away, a number of questions need to be answered with perhaps the biggest one being who will replace him at next year’s Final Four and for future March Madness coverage on CBS?
For what it’s worth, Nantz isn’t officially retiring from broadcasting. He’ll be calling The Masters this year, and perhaps next year as well, and is going to continue being the top NFL announcer for CBS.
So while he’s leaving March Madness, he’s not totally going into retirement any time soon.
Jim Nantz replacement: Who takes over March Madness in 2024?
Replacing a legend isn’t an easy thing to do, but CBS has set itself up nicely to transition from Nantz into a new era for the Final Four.
It will be a familiar voice to college basketball fans, as Ian Eagle is set to be the network’s Jim Nantz replacement starting with next year’s tournament.
Eagle has been a longtime broadcaster for CBS, and has made his bones calling NFL games on Sunday as well as NBA games for TNT during the regular season and playoffs. He’s also been the voice of the Brooklyn Nets for a number of years, and now he’s been elevated to potential GOAT status by taking over for Nantz.
He still has a way to go, but you’d be hard pressed to find someone who has a bad thing to say about Eagle’s announcing talents, nor someone who isn’t intrigued by the idea of him being the one to take over for Nantz.
Is this Jim Nantz last Final Four?
As Reverend Lovejoy once said on The Simpsons: yes with a but, no with an if.
It’s a little complicated, but what seems to be clear is that the final three games of the tournament — the Final Four and the national championship game — will be called by Ian Eagle.
Yes this is the last Final Four Jim Nantz will call but there’s a chance he’ll return for certain games earlier in the tournament. His idol, Pat Summerall, did this for FOX after he stepped away from the top job in the early 2000s. Joe Buck and Troy Aikman were the No. 1 guys, but Summerall still popped up from time-to-time, and called the Cotton Bowl throughout the rest of the decade.
Nantz is still going to be the top announcer for the NFL on CBS, so he’ll still have plenty to do and a big profile with the network and sports fans around the world.