Tournament Schedule and Broadcast Pairings Announced

  

"March Madness®" returns to the CBS Television Network when CBS Sports broadcasts the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship for the 27th consecutive year.  Exclusive live, network coverage begins on Thursday, March 20 and concludes on Monday, April 7 with the National Championship game from the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.

 

THE ROAD TO THE FINAL FOUR, the Network's studio show, tips off CBS's coverage of first- round games on Thursday, March 20 and Friday, March 21 (12:00 Noon-5:00 PM, ET and 7:00 PM-12:00 AM, ET, both days/nights) and is hosted by Greg Gumbel, Clark Kellogg and Seth Davis from the CBS Broadcast Center in New York City. Lesley Visser, Tracy Wolfson and Sam Ryan serve as reporters for THE ROAD TO THE FINAL FOUR throughout CBS Sports' coverage of the tournament.

 

            CBS Sports broadcasts the one-hour NCAA BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SELECTION SHOW on Sunday, March 16 (6:00-7:00 PM, ET), during which the exclusive, live, first-time announcement of the pairings for the NCAA Tournament are made.  The show originates from the CBS Broadcast Center in New York, hosted by Gumbel, along with Kellogg and Davis. Jim Nantz and Billy Packer will be live from Indianapolis, Ind.

 

Following is the CBS Sports roster of announce teams for first and second-round action, led by Nantz, covering his 23rd Final Four, and Emmy Award-winning analyst Packer, covering his 34th consecutive Final Four and Championship game.  This marks the 18^th consecutive year the duo will call college basketball's premier event.

Play-By-Play/Analyst

  

Jim Nantz/Billy Packer

Dick Enberg/Carter Blackburn/Jay Bilas

Verne Lundquist/Bill Raftery

 Gus Johnson/Len Elmore

Kevin Harlan/Dan Bonner

Ian Eagle/Jim Spanarkel

Craig Bolerjack/Bob Wenzel

Tim Brando/Mike Gminski

 

  Bob Dekas is coordinating producer of CBS Sports' NCAA basketball coverage, and Bob Fishman is the lead director.  Eric Mann is Senior Producer.  Mann, David Winner and Vin DeVito produce THE ROAD TO THE FINAL FOUR studio coverage.  Bob Matina directs. 

 

Tony Petitti is Executive Vice President and Executive Producer, CBS Sports.

 

The complete broadcast schedule follows.

 

CBS Sports Contacts:    Jennifer Sabatelle                      LeslieAnne Wade

(212) 975-4120                                   (212) 975-5171

jsabatelle@cbs.com                  lwade@cbs.com

 

 

*A member of the CBS Sports Communications Department will be available throughout tournament coverage at (212) 975-1796.

CBS SPORTS 2008 NCAA BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP BROADCAST SCHEDULE

Date                       Time (ET)                     Game(s) and Specials                                                  Coverage

Thurs., March 20     12:00 Noon-5:00 PM     FIRST ROUND DOUBLEHEADER                             Regional

                                                                      Washington, D.C.                                                                   Omaha, Neb.                                                                      Denver, Colo.                                                                      Anaheim, Calif.

7:00 PM-12:00 AM       FIRST ROUND DOUBLEHEADER                             Regional

(same sites as above listing)

Fri., March 21         12:00 Noon-5:00 PM     FIRST ROUND DOUBLEHEADER                             Regional                                    Raleigh, N.C.                                      Tampa, Fla.                                      Birmingham, Ala.                                      Little Rock, Ark.

7:00 PM-12:00 AM       FIRST ROUND DOUBLEHEADER                             Regional

 (same sites as above listing)

 

Sat., March 22         1:00-2:00 PM                 THE ROAD TO THE FINAL FOUR                             National

 

                                2:00-11:00 PM               SECOND ROUND QUADRUPLEHEADER                Regional

                                                                      Washington, D.C.

                                                                      Omaha, Neb.

                                                                      Denver, Colo.

                                      Anaheim, Calif.

 

Sun., March 23        12:00 Noon-7:00 PM     SECOND ROUND TRIPLEHEADER                          Regional

                                      Raleigh, N.C.

                                      Tampa, Fla.

                                      Birmingham, Ala.

                                      Little Rock, Ark.

 

Thurs., March 27     7:00 PM-12:00 AM       REGIONAL SEMIFINAL  DOUBLEHEADER

                                                                      Charlotte, N.C.                                                               Regional

                                                                      Phoenix, Ariz.

 

Fri., March 28         7:00 PM-12:00 AM       REGIONAL SEMIFINAL DOUBLEHEADER             Regional

                                                                      Detroit, Mich.

                                                                      Houston, Texas

 

CBS SPORTS 2008 NCAA BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP BROADCAST SCHEDULE

 

Date                       Time (ET)                     Game(s) and Specials                                                  Coverage

Sat., March 29         2:30-5:00 PM                 MEN'S DIVISION II CHAMPIONSHIP                      National

                                                                      Mass Mutual Center

                                                                      Springfield, Mass.

 

                                5:00-6:30 PM                 THE ROAD TO THE FINAL FOUR                             National          

 

                                6:30-11:00 PM               REGIONAL FINAL DOUBLEHEADER                      National

                                                                      Charlotte, N.C.

                                                                      Phoenix, Ariz.

 

Sun., March 30        2:00-7:00 PM                 REGIONAL FINAL DOUBLEHEADER                      National

                                                                      Detroit, Mich.

                                                                      Houston, Texas

 

Sat., April 5             3:30-4:00 PM                 THE ROAD TO THE FINAL FOUR                            National

                                                                       "Outside the Games"

 

                                4:00-6:00 PM                 THE FINAL FOUR SHOW                                          National

 

6:00-11:00 PM               NCAA MEN'S FINAL FOUR                                      National

                                                                      Alamodome

                                                                      San Antonio, Texas

 

Mon., April 7           9:00-11:30 PM               PRELUDE TO A CHAMPIONSHIP                             National

 

                                                                      NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP National                                                                        Alamodome

                                                                      San Antonio, Texas