In 1993, he had previously filled-in for his predecessor, Greg Gumbel as NFL Today host while Gumbel was away covering the American League Championship Series for CBS. In 19, Nantz, like Tim Brant, was paired with analyst Hank Stram on NFL broadcasts.

That move sent Greg Gumbel to the studio, and Nantz to the stadium booth with Phil Simms. Nantz’s broadcast style includes a penchant for informing listeners of historical facts or statistics regarding athletes or situations as a competition progresses.Īfter hosting CBS's pre-game program The NFL Today from 1998 to 2003, he became The NFL on CBS ' top play-by-play announcer in 2004. The greeting came about as a way for Nantz to identify himself to his father, who had been suffering from Alzheimer's disease. Nantz opens each of his broadcasts by saying, 'Hello, friends'.

In October 2022, Nantz announced his intention to step away from basketball coverage to spend time with family and will be replaced by Ian Eagle. Nantz's most recent partners on March Madness coverage were Bill Raftery and Grant Hill. Following Brent Musburger's ouster from CBS in 1990, Nantz moved into the lead play-by-play role on the NCAA Final Four men's basketball finals, working with Billy Packer (1991-2008), Clark Kellogg (2009-2013), Steve Kerr (2011-2014), and Greg Anthony (2013-2014). Nantz has anchored CBS' coverage of the Masters Tournament since 1989. Nantz joined CBS Sports in 1985, initially working as a studio host for the network's college football and basketball coverage, and as an on-course reporter for PGA Tour golf, as well as calling NFL games on Westwood One (from 1988 to 1990, when he was moved to television, Nantz called Sunday Night Football games for what was then called CBS Radio Sports). Nantz started as an anchor and sportscaster for KHOU in Houston, Texas in the early 1980s and then became a weekend sports anchor on KSL-TV in Salt Lake City (1982–1985) where he called BYU football games and Utah Jazz games along with Hot Rod Hundley. It was during this time that Nantz got his first experience in sports broadcasting with the CBS Radio Network, transmitting taped interviews to Win Elliot for the latter's Sports Central USA weekend reports. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Radio and Television Broadcasting in 1981. Nantz then matriculated at the University of Houston where he played on the Cougars men's golf team, rooming with future professional golfers Fred Couples and Blaine McCallister. He was a member of Bamm Hollow Country Club. In high school, he was co-captain of the basketball team and co-captain and number one player on the golf team. He was also the lead broadcaster for the NCAA men's basketball tournament from 1990 to 2023.īorn in Charlotte, North Carolina, Nantz grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana, Colts Neck Township, New Jersey, and Marlboro Township, New Jersey, where he attended Marlboro High School. He has anchored CBS's coverage of the Masters Tournament since 1989 and been the lead play-by-play announcer on CBS's NFL coverage since 2004. James William Nantz III (born May 17, 1959) is an American sportscaster who has worked on telecasts of the National Football League (NFL), NCAA Division I men's basketball, the NBA, and the PGA Tour for CBS Sports since the 1980s.

Dallas cowboys game live play by play