Ernie Johnson reduces NCAA role; Burleson to host through Regional Finals

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MARCH 22: The March Madness logo on the court during the Grambling State Tigers versus the Purdue Boilermakers in the first round of the NCAA Division 1 Championship on March 22, 2024, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN. (Photo by Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire)

CBS and TNT Sports’ NCAA Tournament studio coverage will have a different look for the first few rounds.

TNT studio host Ernie Johnson has decided to ‘step back’ from the first two weeks of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament and will instead make his first appearance at the Men’s Final Four. He will be replaced through the Regional Finals by CBS NFL analyst and “CBS This Morning” co-host Nate Burleson.

Burleson will share hosting duties from CBS Sports’ New York studios with Adam Zucker. TNT’s Adam Lefkoe will host the secondary studio show from Atlanta.

Ahead of the tournament, Burleson will host college basketball studio coverage on CBS and CBSSN this coming Sunday. The college basketball hosting roles are almost certainly a precursor to future roles for Burleson, who would have to be considered a main contender to eventually succeed James Brown as host of “The NFL Today.”

As for Johnson, the reduced role comes as the TNT-produced NBA studio shows “NBA Tip-Off” and “Inside the NBA” are set to ramp up appearances on ESPN/ABC. The shows will be on for three-straight nights each of the next three weeks, with the nine total dates matching the number of nights they were on before the All-Star break.

Johnson is also set to work to the end of the NBA season for the first time in 17 years, as the TNT crew is scheduled to cover the NBA Finals for the first time as ABC’s primary studio show. He will be the first broadcaster to host both the NCAA Men’s Final Four and NBA Finals since Brent Musburger in 1984. Johnson last hosted NBA Finals coverage in 2009 as part of special “Inside the NBA” postgame shows on NBA TV after Games 3, 4 and 5.

Johnson has co-hosted NCAA Tournament coverage since TNT Sports — then Turner Sports — entered the picture in 2011. For most of those years, he shared hosting duties with the late Greg Gumbel. Between Johnson’s decision to step back, Gumbel’s passing in late 2024, and longtime play-by-play voice Jim Nantz leaving his tournament role the prior year, it is clear that coverage of the tournament has shifted into a different era.

Tags: NCAA Tournament Broadcasters NCAA Tournament on CBS/Turner

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Jon Lewis

Jon Lewis has been covering the sports media industry on a daily basis since 2006 as the founder and main writer of Sports Media Watch. You can contact him here or on the social media websites X (Twitter) or Bluesky.

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Comments 6

Ryan P Strnad says:

8 months ago

In 2002, at halftime of game one of THE NBA Finals (NBC’s last finals) they let EJ, Charles & Kenny join Castas & their other halftime show analysts just to apparently let TNT say “goodbye” publicly to NBC and Barkely said something like “You guys would still have the NBA if you wouldn’t have blown all that money on the XFL!” and Costas responded by saying something like “Mr. Ebersol (wants to meet with you).”.
Ryan P Strnad says:

8 months ago

I know he’s now up there in age, but why wasnt JAMES BROWN ever considered for NCAA studio hosting (at least since he returned to CBS in 2006)? He did NCAA Play by play for his first season coming back (even bumped Gus Johnson for 2nd weekend coverage, a move they didn’t do since the early 90s “bumping”) but hasn’t done any NCAA work ever since (unless a regular season game here and there during heavy weekends).
JEAN H PIERRE says:

8 months ago

The continuing ascendance of Nate Burleson is amazing. I thought maybe they would have used maybe Adam Zucker but oh well. If I’m correct I think Adam Zucker does the in-game updates I believe. Long-term right now Dr Lewis do you see the CBS TNT Sports relationship continuing once the contract is up for the NCAA Men’s Tournament. Also are they going to use the TNT guys that covers college basketball part of March Madness coverage.
- Ryan P Strnad says:
  
  8 months ago
  
  Just a shooting by the hip guess, theyre still paying Burleson all that money despite pulling him off that morning show.
Nate Johnson says:

8 months ago

For Burleson, I believe this is to get his feet wet as he’s in clear position to replace James Brown as NFL studio host for CBS (whenever that time comes; I personally not rushing for Brown to get off. He should leave on his own terms). I saw this in a making years after Burleson left Good Morning Football to become a co-host on CBS This Morning.

For Johnson, I am a bit surprised on the significant reduced role on March Madness. It makes me wonder if this was more of CBS call than Johnson himself. Of course Johnson is not someone who I believe wants to block opportunities for the next upcoming personnel for the studio host positions he possess, but I do get a sense that he wants to be similar to an Al Michaels which is to leave whenever he wants to which is why I see this as a CBS call and Johnson not wanting to take opportunities away from others.

This shows how challenging this business is. I mean we’re talking about arguably the best studio host in today’s sports coverage and yet there are others, in Burleson, Zucker, and Lefkoe cases, who worked their way to get to the position they’re in only to continue to patiently wait for the proven successful studio hosts, in Johnson and also Brown case, to open their position for them to take in a respective and humbled route.
dx says:

8 months ago

Definitely not surprising at all given ESPN’s needs for the upcoming NBA playoffs, and I fully expect that Nate Burleson will eventually replace James Brown as CBS’ NFL host if not also for college basketball (honestly, it may even have been quietly promised to Nate when he re-signed with CBS before last season).