The early weeks of the NCAA Tournament will have a new host this year with Nate Burleson replacing Ernie Johnson for the first two weeks of March Madness. And Johnson says it was his idea.
CBS and TNT Sports made the surprising announcement earlier this month that Johnson would be reducing his workload for March Madness. The beloved studio host took on the lead host role last year, stepping in for the legendary Greg Gumbel who had passed away in December 2024.
However, this year he will only host Final Four coverage on-site in Indianapolis. In his place will be Burleson, hosting NCAA Tournament coverage for the first time. The former NFL wide receiver hasn’t just starred as a football analyst in the studio with CBS, he has also crossed over into news as one of the hosts of CBS Mornings.
But questions have persisted what was behind the move. And according to Ernie Johnson, he was the one that requested additional time off from the NCAA Tournament.
“At my request, I will take a step back from working the first two weeks of March Madness,” Johnson told NJ.com in a statement. “I appreciate the support from TNT Sports, along with my CBS Sports colleagues. We have a tremendously talented broadcast team, and I look forward to hosting our studio coverage from the Final Four in Indianapolis.”
It makes sense as Johnson is in the latter stages of his acclaimed career as a television host. And as March Madness gets underway, EJ is increasing his Inside the NBA schedule with TNT Sports and ESPN. Similarly, Jim Nantz walked away from his college basketball duties with CBS to reduce his workload and focus on the NFL and PGA Tour coverage with the network.
While viewers will miss Ernie Johnson the first two weekends of the tourney, the assignment represents a huge opportunity for Nate Burleson to further establish himself as a multi-talented television personality. And EJ will still be there for someone to cut the nets down in Indianapolis.
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