The Houston Cougars secured their place in the Final Four on Sunday by defeating No. 2 seed Tennessee. After the game, it was hard to tell who was more excited — coach Kelvin Sampson, his players, or Houston superfan Jim Nantz, who made a significant road trip from Nashville to watch the Cougars play in Indianapolis. Nantz, a Houston graduate, is no stranger to March Madness, having called every Final Four for CBS from 1991 through 2023.
“Just feel like taking in a road trip,” Nantz shared with PaperCityMag.com. “I just feel like being on the road to the Final Four. I want to be authentic. So I think I looked it up — two hundred and 90 miles. Here I come.” Nantz was thrilled with what he witnessed from the top-seeded Cougars, who took a commanding 19-point halftime lead and ultimately triumphed 69-50. Post-game, he conveyed to Paper City’s Chris Baldwin his enjoyment in seeing the national media overlook his beloved team.
“This was a great performance, virtuoso, masterful,” Nantz stated. “These guys are amazingly bonded. I’ll tell you a theme that I hope evolves … and the national media goes and picks against us again. We’re always underrated, underestimated. I truly believe that. I know all the panels on all the studio shows, every network, picked Tennessee. What they don’t understand is that we’re used to that … we’re immune to that.”
Proud University of Houston graduate Jim Nantz discusses his readiness for “When the national media picks against us once again” in the Final Four. “We’re always underrated, underestimated. I really believe that. … What they don’t understand is we’re used to that.” pic.twitter.com/vBc1WLCrOh
— Chris Baldwin (@ChrisYBaldwin) March 30, 2025
Nantz was invited to join the Houston team photo after the game when Sampson called him over. “He’s with us!”
Kelvin Sampson calls for Jim Nantz to join them in the team photo.
“He’s with us!” pic.twitter.com/w3iIt26FuF
— Will Kunkel (@WillKunkelFOX) March 30, 2025
Nantz mentioned to Paper City his plans to attend the Final Four in San Antonio’s Alamodome, where he previously did play-by-play for four Final Fours, bringing along his son Jamo. He even touched on the current landscape of college basketball amidst the NIL and transfer portal era, expressing his hope that people would see his team as a representation of what college basketball used to be. “Because our guys stay … no one does that anymore. We’re the most committed team in college basketball.”
