Credit: CBS Mornings
By Drew Lerner on

Nate Burleson is adding to his resume at CBS Sports.

The NFL studio analyst, who also serves as a co-host for CBS Mornings every weekday, is set to host coverage of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament for CBS Sports and TNT Sports, CBS announced on Thursday. Burleson will make his college basketball hosting debut this Sunday before a game between Ohio State and Michigan State at 1 p.m. ET on CBS.

After the passing of longtime March Madness host Greg Gumbel last year, CBS has been in need of another person to take on a permanent hosting role. Last year, the network tapped Ernie Johnson, Adam Lefkoe, and Adam Zucker to host its three studio teams throughout the tournament.

This year, Burleson will replace Johnson for the first two weeks of the tournament. That means fans will get to see him alongside the analyst crew of Clark Kellogg, Charles Barkley, and Kenny Smith. Johnson will return to host the Final Four, which this year will air on the TNT Sports networks.

“It’s the first sport I fell in love with, the first sport I learned how to play. As everybody knows, my brother coaches in the NBA. So basketball, the sport is near and dear to myself and my family, and I’ve been itching to contribute to basketball coverage under the CBS Sports umbrella, and finally I get to do that,” Burleson said when his new role was announced on CBS Mornings.

CBS has yet to announce any official plans for its March Madness coverage, but Zucker would seem to be in pole position to return as host of the Selection Show as he prepares to host CBS’s Bracket Preview Show this Saturday when the current top-16 seeds for the tournament are unveiled. Gumbel, of course, was the longtime host of Selection Sunday prior to his passing.

About Drew Lerner

Drew Lerner is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and an aspiring cable subscriber. He previously covered sports media for Sports Media Watch. Future beat writer for the Oasis reunion tour.

View all posts by Drew Lerner