It's that time of the year again. The 2024 NCAA Basketball Tournament is fast approaching.
As millions of Americans get ready to fill out their brackets and try to figure out who'll cut down the nets in Glendale, AZ as National Champions next month, the "Road to the Final Four" officially tips off on Tuesday in Dayton, OH with the "First Four".
The first game takes place at 5:40P (CT) Tuesday between the Wagner Seahawks & Howard University Bison followed by Game 2 between the Colorado State Rams & Virginia Cavaliers approximately 30 minutes after the Wagner/Howard game wraps. On Wednesday, the Grambling Tigers & Montana State Bobcats take the same floor in Dayton at 5:40P followed by the Colorado Buffaloes & Boise State Broncos in the nightcap.
Those games will be called by Spero Dedes, Jim Spanarkel & Jon Rothstein Tuesday & Wednesday on TruTV. The games can also be heard on the Westwood One/NCAA Radio Network. In Chicago, the games can be heard on 720 AM WGN Radio starting Tuesday. They won't have all the games due in part to Blackhawks' hockey in Los Angeles Tuesday, in Anaheim Thursday & in San Jose Saturday night.
As for local teams in the field of 68...Illinois is the #3 seed in the East and will face #14 Morehead State Thursday @ 2:10P from Omaha, NE on TruTV and on WLS-AM 890 locally. Tom McCarthy, Avery Johnson, Deb Antonelli & A.J. Ross will have the TruTV call Thursday afternoon of the games in Omaha.
Northwestern is the #9 seed in the East and draws #8 Florida Atlantic Friday @ 11:15A (CT) in Brooklyn. Ian Eagle, who is coincidentally the TV voice of the Brooklyn Nets, Bill Raftery, Grant Hill & Tracy Wolfson will call this game on CBS 2 with 720 AM carrying it for Northwestern fans.
Here are your broadcast teams for the first week of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament:
The First Four: Dayton, OH (Tuesday & Wednesday)
TruTV: Spero Dedes, Jim Spanarkel & Jon Rothstein (Sidelines) Westwood One: Nate Gatter & Jim Boeheim
Thursday/Saturday (First & Second Rounds) Charlotte: TV: Brian Anderson, Jim Jackson & Allie LaForce (Sidelines) Westwood One: Jason Benetti & Casey Jacobsen Pittsburgh: TV: Andrew Catalon, Steve Lappas & Evan Washburn (Sidelines) Westwood One: Scott Graham & Jordan Cornette Omaha: TV: Tom McCarthy, Avery Johnson, Deb Antonelli & A.J. Ross (Sidelines) Westwood One: Kevin Kugler & Stephen Bardo Salt Lake City: TV: Brad Nessler, Brendan Haywood & Dana Jacobson (Sidelines) Westwood One: Dave Pasch & P.J. Carlesimo
Friday/Sunday (First & Second Rounds): Brooklyn: TV: Ian Eagle, Grant Hill, Bill Raftery & Tracy Wolfson (Sidelines) Westwood One: Chris Carrino & Jon Crispin Indianapolis: TV: Kevin Harlan, Dan Bonner, Stan Van Gundy & Andy Katz (Sidelines) Westwood One: Ted Emrich & Austin Croshere Memphis: TV: Spero Dedes, Jim Spanarkel & Jon Rothstein (Sidelines) Westwood One: John Sadak & Tom Crean Spokane: TV: Lisa Byington, Steve Smith, Robbie Hummel & Lauren Shehadi (Sidelines) Westwood One: Ryan Radtke & Dan Dickau
For Westwood One/NCAA Radio Network, Jason Horowitz will host studio coverage from New York with Doug Gottlieb as analyst. All games will air on CBS, TBS, TNT & TruTV respectively.
Now that we've reached the Sweet 16 & the Elite 8, games will be carried on CBS 2 locally as well as TBS & truTV respectively starting Thursday. 720 AM WGN Radio will still carry games via the Westwood One Sports/NCAA Radio Network Friday & Sunday, but they won't air games Thursday & Saturday due to Blackhawks' games in Ottawa & Philadelphia respectively.
WLS-AM 890 has local coverage of Illinois' East Regional matchup vs Iowa State Thursday night in Boston via the Illini Sports Network/Learfield. As for the TV & radio crews:
West Regional: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles #6 Clemson vs #2 Arizona- Thursday 6P (CT) #4 Alabama vs #1 North Carolina-Approximately 8:40P CBS: Brian Anderson, Jim Jackson & Allie LaForce (Sidelines) Westwood One: Spero Dedes & Austin Croshere
East Regional: TD Garden, Boston #5 San Diego State vs #1 Connecticut- 6:30P #3 Illinois vs #2 Iowa State- 9:10P TBS/truTV: Kevin Harlan, Dan Bonner, Stan Van Gundy & Andy Katz (Sidelines) Westwood One: Scott Graham & Jordan Cornette
South Region, American Airlines Center, Dallas #11 NC State vs #2 Marquette- Friday 6P #4 Duke vs #1 Houston- 8:40P CBS: Ian Eagle, Grant Hill, Bill Raftery & Tracy Wolfson (Sidelines) Westwood One: Ryan Radtke & P.J. Carlesimo
Midwest Regional: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit #5 Gonzaga vs #1 Purdue- Friday 6:30P #3 Creighton vs #2 Tennessee- 9:10P TBS/truTV: Andrew Catalon, Steve Lappas & Evan Washburn (Sidelines) Westwood One: Kevin Kugler & Robbie Hummel