Jim Nantz will be at San Antonio’s Alamodome on Saturday for the Final Four matchup between the Duke Blue Devils and Houston Cougars. As a Houston graduate, Nantz will be cheering for the Cougars, but his connection to Houston’s basketball program runs deep beyond just being an alum. He appeared on the ACC Network with host Mark Packer, son of Nantz’s longtime broadcast partner, the legendary Billy Packer, where he expressed his excitement for Saturday’s semifinal, along with the potential finale on Monday night.
“I am so stoked about making it to the Final Four and possibly cutting down the nets on Monday night,” Nantz shared. “Who knows? I love this team of ours. I don’t get to use ‘we’ and ‘our’ often, but you know my ties. You and your family know it better than anyone, how far back my connection with the Houston basketball program goes. This is a glorious, glorious weekend, and I can’t wait to share it with some family members. We’ll give Duke everything we have. Hopefully, it’s enough.”
He elaborated on why Houston’s basketball team is so significant to him: “My whole broadcasting career really was channeled through the Houston basketball program. My golf coach, Dave Williams, introduced me to the legendary Guy Lewis on campus early in my days at Houston. And for whatever reason, Guy took a shine to me and put me at the scorer’s table as the public address announcer for home games, marking my first experience working with a microphone. Then, my TV journey began as I hosted Guy’s television show on the NBC affiliate while I was just a kid living in the dorms. I’ve spent my entire life living and dying with Houston basketball, and it’s personal. In many ways, my career grew alongside the U of H basketball team.”
Jim Nantz joins ACC PM and reflects on his time calling the Final Four with Billy Packer ❤️ pic.twitter.com/mbpITWGAu0
— ACC Network (@accnetwork) April 4, 2025
Houston coach Kelvin Sampson ensured that Nantz was included in a team photo taken just after the Cougars defeated Tennessee to advance to the Final Four. It seems that Nantz’s affection for Houston’s basketball team is certainly mutual.