James William Nantz, III (born May 17, 1959 in Charlotte, North Carolina) is an American sportscaster, known primarily for his work with CBS Sports television.
Nantz grew up in Colts Neck Township, New Jersey and attended Marlboro High School. In high school, he was co-captain of the basketball team and co-captain and number one player on the golf team. He was a member of Bamm Hollow Country Club.
Nantz then went to the University of Houston in Texas, where he majored in broadcasting and played on the Houston Cougars men's golf team, rooming with future professional golfers Fred Couples and Blaine McCallister.
After his 1981 graduation, Nantz broadcast for several local radio and television stations in Houston and Salt Lake City, then became a play-by-play announcer for the Brigham Young University football team and the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association.
In 1985, Nantz was hired by CBS, for which he served as a play-by-play announcer and/or studio anchor for a number of events including the NFL, the NBA, college football and basketball, the Masters and PGA Championship golf tournaments, the US Open tennis championship, and the Winter Olympic Games.
Nantz has teamed with Billy Packer to call the NCAA Final Four men's basketball finals continuously since 1991.
After hosting CBS's pre-game program The NFL Today from 1998-2003, he became The NFL on CBS's top play-by-play announcer in 2004. That move sent Greg Gumbel to the studio, and Nantz to the stadium booth with Phil Simms.
On February 4, 2007, Nantz called the play-by-play of Super Bowl XLI. He joins Curt Gowdy and Dick Enberg as the only play-by-play announcers to ever call both a Super Bowl and an NCAA Men's Basketball Championship Game. (Greg Gumbel called CBS' previous Super Bowl, Super Bowl XXXVIII.)
Nantz is also one of two men to host a Super Bowl, announce an NCAA Men's Basketball Championship game, and host coverage of the Masters from Butler Cabin with Brent Musburger being the other. Musburger also accomplished all three feats with CBS.
Nantz's first book, Always By My Side – A Father’s Grace and a Sports Journey Unlike Any Other, hit bookstores in May 2008. Nantz tells personal stories from football, basketball and golf and how he has met people along the way who remind him of the virtues his father instilled in him. The foreword to the book was written by one of his father figures, friend and frequent golf partner, former President George H.W. Bush.
Nantz received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from the University of Houston in 2001. The veteran NCAA announcer is also one of the youngest recipients of the Basketball Hall of Fame's Curt Gowdy award for broadcasting.
In a radio interview with KTCK The Ticket in Dallas, Nantz announced that he would like to announce 50 Masters before he retires.
He teamed with Gary McCord to provide extensive commentary in the 1990's PC golf classic Jack Nicklaus 6 - Golden Bear Challenge.
Nantz's commentary is featured in the Golden Tee golf arcade game series.
Nantz lives with his wife, Lorrie, and daughter in Westport, Connecticut.
Near the end of a live radio interview on the syndicated Rush Limbaugh radio show on May 16, 2008, Nantz told the conservative talk host that he would like to talk about politics and his possible involvement in politics someday. The interview ended before the subject could be pursued.
