March Madness Announcers 2026: Who's calling first round games on TNT, CBS

2026 March Madness announcers: Who is calling each of the first round games on Thursday, Friday games schedule

The 2026 NCAA men’s basketball tournament is upon us! The First Four has wrapped up and the first round gets underway Thursday at 12:15 p.m. ET. The first game of the first round will feature #8 Louisville facing #9 Creighton in Lexington, Kentucky, and it will air on CBS. Over the rest of the week, truTV, TNT, and TBS will join in so that at any given point we could have as many as four games going at one.

It will be a fun next four days, in part because of the excitement the announcers bring to the games. The talent on the court is what matters, but some announcers bring a little something extra to the viewing experience.

March Madness announcers: TV broadcasters, announcing schedule for Thursday first-round games

All Times Eastern. ET

12:15 p.m.: (9) TCU vs. (8) Ohio State – Ian Eagle / Bill Raftery, Grant Hill // Tracy Wolfson (CBS)  

12:40 p.m.: (13) Troy vs. (4) Nebraska – Brandon Gaudin / Chris Webber // Andy Katz (truTV)  

1:30 p.m.: (11) South Florida vs. (6) Louisville – Brian Anderson / Jim Jackson // Allie LaForce (TNT)  

1:50 p.m.: (12) High Point vs. (5) Wisconsin – Brad Nessler / Wally Szczerbiak // Jared Greenberg (TBS)  

2:50 p.m.: (16) Siena vs. (1) Duke – Ian Eagle / Bill Raftery, Grant Hill // Tracy Wolfson (CBS)  

3:15 p.m.: (12) McNeese vs. (5) Vanderbilt – Brandon Gaudin / Chris Webber // Andy Katz (truTV)  

4:05 p.m.: (14) North Dakota State vs. (3) Michigan – Brian Anderson / Jim Jackson // Allie LaForce (TNT)  

4:25 p.m.: (9) Hawaii vs. (8) Arkansas – Brad Nessler / Wally Szczerbiak // Jared Greenberg (TBS)  

6:50 p.m.: (11) VCU vs. (6) North Carolina – Ian Eagle / Bill Raftery, Grant Hill // Tracy Wolfson (TNT)  

7:10 p.m.: (16) UMBC / Howard vs. (1) Michigan – Brian Anderson / Jim Jackson // Allie LaForce (CBS)  

7:25 p.m.: (11) Texas / NC State vs. (6) BYU – Brad Nessler / Wally Szczerbiak // Jared Greenberg (TBS)  

7:35 p.m.: (10) Texas A&M vs. (7) St. Mary's – Brandon Gaudin / Chris Webber // Andy Katz (truTV)  

9:25 p.m.: (14) Penn vs. (3) Illinois – Ian Eagle / Bill Raftery, Grant Hill // Tracy Wolfson (TNT)  

9:45 p.m.: (9) Saint Louis vs. (8) Georgia – Brian Anderson / Jim Jackson // Allie LaForce (CBS)  

10 p.m.: (14) Kennesaw State vs. (3) Gonzaga – Brad Nessler / Wally Szczerbiak // Jared Greenberg (TBS)  

10:10 p.m.: (15) Idaho vs. (2) Houston – Brandon Gaudin / Chris Webber // Andy Katz (truTV)

March Madness announcers: TV broadcasters, announcing schedule for Friday first-round games

All Times Eastern. ET

12:15 p.m.: (10) Santa Clara vs. (7) Kentucky – Spero Dedes / Jim Spanarkel // Jon Rothstein (CBS)  

12:40 p.m.: (12) Akron vs. (5) Texas Tech – Tom McCarthy / Candace Parker, Dan Bonner // AJ Ross (truTV)  

1:35 p.m.: (16) LIU vs. (1) Arizona – Kevin Harlan / Robbie Hummel, Stan Van Gundy // Lauren Shehadi (TNT)  

1:50 p.m.: (14) Wright State vs. (3) Virginia – Andrew Catalon / Steve Lappas // Evan Washburn (TBS)  

2:50 p.m.: (15) Tennessee State vs. (2) Iowa State – Spero Dedes / Jim Spanarkel // Jon Rothstein (CBS)  

3:15 p.m.: (13) Hofstra vs. (4) Alabama – Tom McCarthy / Candace Parker, Dan Bonner // AJ Ross (truTV)  

4:10 p.m.: (9) Utah State vs. (8) Villanova – Kevin Harlan / Robbie Hummel, Stan Van Gundy // Lauren Shehadi (TNT)  

4:25 p.m.: (11) Miami (OH) / SMU vs. (6) Tennessee – Andrew Catalon / Steve Lappas // Evan Washburn (TBS)  

6:50 p.m.: (9) Iowa vs. (8) Clemson – Tom McCarthy / Candace Parker, Dan Bonner // AJ Ross (TNT)  

7:10 p.m.: (12) Northern Iowa vs. (5) St. John's – Kevin Harlan / Robbie Hummel, Stan Van Gundy // Lauren Shehadi (CBS)  

7:25 p.m.: (10) UCF vs. (7) UCLA – Andrew Catalon / Steve Lappas // Evan Washburn (TBS)  

7:35 p.m.: (15) Queens (NC) vs. (2) Purdue – Spero Dedes / Jim Spanarkel // Jon Rothstein (truTV)  

9:25 p.m.: (16) Prairie View / Lehigh vs. (1) Florida – Tom McCarthy / Candace Parker, Dan Bonner // AJ Ross (TNT)  

9:45 p.m.: (13) Cal Baptist vs. (4) Kansas – Kevin Harlan / Robbie Hummel, Stan Van Gundy // Lauren Shehadi (CBS)  

10 p.m.: (15) Furman vs. (2) UConn – Andrew Catalon / Steve Lappas // Evan Washburn (TBS)  

10:10 p.m.: (10) Missouri vs. (7) Miami (FL) – Spero Dedes / Jim Spanarkel // Jon Rothstein (truTV)

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