Jim Nantz, the legendary voice of March Madness for more than 30 years, traded the CBS mic for Cougar red at the 2025 Final Four. The Hall of Fame broadcaster, who stepped away from NCAA Tournament coverage in 2023, was spotted courtside cheering for Houston—his alma mater—during its national semifinal matchup against Duke.
Duke, led by national player of the year Cooper Flagg, entered the Final Four with the nation’s top offensive efficiency and a 35-3 record. Houston countered with the No. 1 defense, a Division I-best 17-game win streak, and 30 wins in its last 31 games, with only one regulation loss.
Legendary CBS Voice Jim Nantz Attends Houston’s Final Four Game Against Duke
Nantz, long celebrated as the voice of March Madness, returned to the Final Four stage—this time as a fan. The Hall of Fame announcer, who served as the lead voice of CBS’s NCAA Tournament broadcasts from 1991 to 2023, showed up in support of his alma mater, Houston, during its semifinal against Duke at the Alamodome in San Antonio.
With Ian Eagle now anchoring CBS’s tournament coverage for the second straight year, Nantz’s presence as a fan brought a wave of nostalgia and excitement. His return marked a symbolic moment for Cougars fans and college basketball faithful during the sport’s biggest weekend.
Jim Nantz is in the building 🙌#MarchMadness @UHCougarMBK pic.twitter.com/ieSwn5h55w
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 6, 2025
Nantz was attending a Cougars game for the second time in a week. While he’s stepped back from NCAA basketball coverage, he remains a familiar face on CBS, still calling NFL games and anchoring coverage of the Masters.
“I’m so stoked about this weekend,” Nantz said during an appearance on The Dan Patrick Show. “We all have that little boy inside us—that fan that still lives and has a place in your heart for what sports used to feel like. I have it with all things University of Houston—football, basketball, whatever it might be.”
The Cougars, led by L.J. Cryer and head coach Kelvin Sampson, squared off against Duke’s standout freshman Cooper Flagg and coach Jon Scheyer. For Nantz, the emotional ties run deep.
He graduated from the University of Houston in 1981 with a degree in radio and television and was a member of the school’s golf team.
“My career traces back to college and a group of supporters who loved on me, believed in me and gave me opportunity,” Nantz told NCAA.com in 2023. “And it was really channeled through college basketball, through the Houston basketball program.”
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Nantz signed off from his final NCAA Tournament broadcast in 2023 at NRG Stadium in Houston, where UConn captured the national title. His return as a fan brings his journey full circle—back where it all began.
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