Jim Nantz receives standing ovation from Final Four crowd in Houston

This year’s Final Four in Houston is a bittersweet one for Jim Nantz of CBS Sports, it will be the last Final Four that he’s the play-by-play man for CBS. He’s been their play-by-play announcer for March Madness games since 1991 and after three decades, he’s deciding to step away in order to spend more time with his family.

Monday night’s national championship game will be the legendary broadcaster’s final NCAA Tournament game on the call for CBS. Before Saturday night’s first Final Four game between Florida Atlantic and San Diego State, the crowd in Houston decided to give Jim Nantz a standing ovation.

Check it out below.

A standing ovation for Jim Nantz 👏#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/J17i9ppUbX

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 1, 2023

It’s good to see fans appreciate the work that Nantz has done over the years. He’s been synonymous with the NCAA Tournament for quite some time now. You certainly can’t blame him for wanting to step away early so that he can just enjoy the games and be a fan in the stands.

Billy Packer, another legendary broadcaster who worked with Nantz on 18 Final Fours with for CBS, recently passed away due to kidney failure.

He’s not retiring from his other broadcasting duties. Nantz will call next week’s Masters and he’ll also continue calling NFL games as CBS’ lead broadcaster next season. He just signed a long-term deal with the network. His previous deal was worth $6.5 million per year, but the terms of his new contract have not been revealed.

Jim Nantz went to college at the University of Houston, which is another reason why he chose this year’s Final Four to step away. He played college golf for the Houston Cougars, rooming with future golf professionals like Fred Couples.

Nantz joined CBS Sports in 1985, initially working as a studio host for their college basketball and college football coverage. He’s reeled in an extensive number of accolades over the years during his legendary career — including five-time NSMA National Sportscaster of the Year (1998, 2005, 2007, 2008, and 2009). Nantz was also inducted into the NSMA Hall of Fame in 2021.

Vineyard Vines teamed up with Nantz to make some golf clothes inspired by Pebble Beach, the majestic golf course where he lives. The collection of clothes is called the “Jim Nantz Collection”. His iconic catch phrase over the years has been, “Hello Friends.” He’s been a fixture at Augusta National over the years during the Masters and fans shouldn’t worry as he has said would like to work that tournament through 2036.