Jim Nantz’s career as a college basketball broadcaster is officially over.
UConn’s 76-59 win over San Diego State on Monday night in the national championship game was Nantz’s final college basketball broadcast for CBS. And as the face and voice of CBS Sports signed off his final college basketball broadcast, he referenced the phrase he’s made famous at the start of so many CBS Sports telecasts.
“One thing I learned through all of this, is everyone has a dream,” Nantz said. “And everybody has a story to tell. Just try to find that story. Be kind.”
“You told it better than most, let me tell you,” analyst Bill Raftery then said.
Nantz continued: “Can I tell you one other thing? I mean this, not to try to play off ‘Hello friends,’ but to you, everyone in the college game, my CBS family, my family, all the viewers, thank you for being my friend.”
After the game, he took in “One Shining Moment” for the last time as a member of the CBS NCAA broadcast team.
Monday’s national title game was in Nantz’s hometown of Houston. As the seconds ticked down in UConn’s victory, Raftery started to pay tribute to Nantz but the play-by-play announcer downplayed it and said he wanted to keep the focus on the game.
Nantz, 63, has been involved in CBS’ Final Four broadcasts since 1986 and took over as the network’s lead play-by-play broadcaster for college basketball in 1991. Since then, his portfolio has grown with golf — he’ll be on the call for the Masters starting Thursday — and the NFL. He made the decision two years ago that the 2023 Final Four in Houston would be a fitting location for his last college basketball broadcast. And his sign-off was incredibly fitting too.
