Release

CBS SPORTS' EXCLUSIVE NETWORK COVERAGE OF THE 2009 NCAA DIVISION I MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP TIPS-OFF WITH FIRST-ROUND ACTION ON THURSDAY, MARCH 19

CLARK KELLOGG TO CALL FIRST FINAL FOUR AND CHAMPIONSHIP GAME ALONGSIDE JIM NANTZ

  

NEW LEAD STUDIO ANALYST GREG ANTHONY JOINS GREG GUMBEL AND SETH DAVIS ON "ROAD TO THE FINAL FOUR®"

  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 28th consecutive year.  For the first time in 28 years, CBS Sports' basketball coverage has a new lead analyst as Clark Kellogg becomes only the second analyst in CBS Sports history to call the Final Four and Championship Game. Kellogg teams with lead play-by-play announcer Jim Nantz, who is covering his 24th Final Four.

  

CBS Sports' exclusive live, network coverage begins on Thursday, March 19 and concludes on Monday, April 6 with the National Championship game from Ford Field in Detroit, Mich.

 

THE ROAD TO THE FINAL FOUR®, the Network's studio show, has a new look as former UNLV standout Greg Anthony joins Greg Gumbel and Seth Davis live from the CBS Broadcast Center in New York City.  THE ROAD TO THE FINAL FOUR tips off CBS Sports' NCAA Tournament coverage with first-round games on Thursday, March 19 and Friday, March 20 (12:00 Noon-5:00 PM, ET and 7:00 PM-12:00 AM, ET, both days/nights). 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 15 (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 Anthony and Davis. Nantz and Kellogg will be live from Indianapolis, Ind.

 

Following is the CBS Sports roster of announce teams for first and second-round action, led by Nantz and Kellogg:

Play-By-Play/Analyst

  

Jim Nantz/Clark Kellogg

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

  

  

Harold Bryant is Vice President, Production, CBS Sports. 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. 

 

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.

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

Thurs., March 19     12:00 Noon-5:00 PM     FIRST ROUND DOUBLEHEADER                             Regional

                                                                      Philadelphia, Pa.

                                                                      Greensboro, N.C.

                                                                      Kansas City, Mo.

                                                                      Portland, Ore.                            

                                                                                                 

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

 (same sites as above listing)

  

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

                                      Miami, Fla.

                                      Dayton, Ohio

                                      Minneapolis, Minn.

                                      Boise, Idaho

  

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

 (same sites as above listing)

  

Sat., March 21         12:00 Noon-1:00 PM     THE ROAD TO THE FINAL FOUR                             National

                                                                     

                                1:00-10:00 PM               SECOND ROUND QUADRUPLEHEADER                Regional

                                                                      Philadelphia, Pa.

                                                                      Greensboro, N.C.

                                                                      Kansas City, Mo.

                                      Portland, Ore.                                                           

  

Sun., March 22        12:00 Noon-7:00 PM     SECOND ROUND TRIPLEHEADER                          Regional

                                      Miami, Fla.

                                      Dayton, Ohio

                                      Minneapolis, Minn.

                                      Boise, Idaho

  

Thurs., March 26     7:00 PM-12:00 AM       REGIONAL SEMIFINAL  DOUBLEHEADER

                                                                      Boston, Mass.                                                                Regional

                                                                      Glendale, Ariz.

  

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

                                                                      Indianapolis, Ind.

                                                                      Memphis, Tenn.

  

CBS SPORTS 2009 NCAA BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP BROADCAST SCHEDULE

  

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

Sat., March 28         1:00-3:00 PM                 MEN'S DIVISION II CHAMPIONSHIP                      National

                                                                      Mass Mutual Center

                                                                      Springfield, Mass.

  

                                3:00-4:30 PM                 THE ROAD TO THE FINAL FOUR                             National          

  

                                4:30-9:00 PM                 REGIONAL FINAL DOUBLEHEADER                      National

                                                                      Boston, Mass.                                                               

                                                                      Glendale, Ariz.

  

Sun., March 29        2:00-7:00 PM                 REGIONAL FINAL DOUBLEHEADER                      National

                                                                      Indianapolis, Ind.

                                                                      Memphis, Tenn.

  

Sat., April 4             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

                                                                      Ford Field

                                                                      Detroit, Mich.

  

Mon., April 6           9:00-11:30 PM               PRELUDE TO A CHAMPIONSHIP                             National

                                                                     

                                                                      NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP National                                                                        Ford Field

                        Detroit, Mich.