With Selection Sunday under two weeks away, the NCAA tournament is approaching quickly.
From the closing stretch of the regular season to conference tournament season, the next two weeks of basketball across the sport leads to one of the most exciting times of the year with March Madness.
The NCAA men's March Madness social media accounts announced the broadcast teams for the First Four in Dayton for the men’s NCAA tournament. This year, ESPN’s Dick Vitale will be a color commentator for the second game of night one of the proceedings on Tuesday, March 17. Vitale will co-color commentate the contest with Charles Barkley, and Turner Sports’ Brian Anderson will handle the play-by-play with Jenny Dell serving as the sideline reporter.
Game Announcers for the First Four pic.twitter.com/wlqx7jrzhi
— March Madness Men’s Basketball TV (@MM_MBB_TV) March 4, 2026
Turner's Jordan Kent will also be a part of the First Four, with Jim Spanarkel serving as a color analyst for the three other games in Dayton. Dell will serve as the sideline reporter for all four matchups.
This is a special opportunity for Vitale, a college basketball lifer at ESPN who has never called an NCAA tournament game on television. ESPN previously had broadcast rights for some NCAA tournament games in the 1980s, but Vitale served as studio analyst during those events. He has called Final Four games for ESPN's international game feeds in the past, but the 2026 First Four will mark the first time that Vitale has ever done a traditional television broadcast for an NCAA tournament contest.
"Dick has meant so much to the game of basketball, and we have long felt he deserved an opportunity to call an NCAA men’s tournament game, and we are delighted he has finally agreed following several offers," CBS Sports executive vice president Harold Bryant said in a statement in December. "Having him call the game with Charles will be must-see TV and a great way to tip off the First Four."
As Bryant alluded to, Vitale has turned down offers from CBS out of respect for his employer at ESPN in both 2006 and '23.
Full Broadcast Teams for 2026 Men's First Four
| Game | Play-by-Play | Color Commentator | Sideline Reporter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesday, March 17 - Game 1 | Jordan Kent | Jim Spanarkel | Jenny Dell |
| Tuesday, March 17 - Game 2 | Brian Anderson | Charles Barkley, Dick Vitale | Jenny Dell |
| Wednesday, March 18 - Game 1 | Jordan Kent | Jim Spanarkel | Jenny Dell |
| Wednesday, March 18 Game 2 | Jordan Kent | Jim Spanarkel | Jenny Dell |
More College Basketball on Sports Illustrated
Listen to SI’s college sports podcast, Others Receiving Votes, below or on Apple and Spotify. Watch the show on SI’s YouTube channel.
- Travis Steele Dismisses Bruce Pearl’s Comments About Miami of Ohio’s Tournament Résumé
- Bobby Hurley, Moe Odum React to Arizona State's Upset Win vs. No. 14 Kansas on Senior Night
- The Magic Eight: Teams That Can Win the 2026 Men’s NCAA Tournament
- Ranking Men’s College Basketball Power Conferences: Is It Big Ten’s Title to Lose?
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Dick Vitale Highlights Announcing Teams for First Four in Men's NCAA Tournament.
