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Jim Nantz gets ready for March Madness and The Masters

The lead announcer for CBS Sports has a busy and exciting month ahead.

It's Thursday afternoon and Jim Nantz is sitting courtside as all eight teams take part in the open practices.

In between researching the teams involved, Nantz takes time to talk to the head coaches who make their way over to where the CBS broadcast team has set up shop. He also makes time to take pictures with fans who have watched and listened to him over the years.

Friday's Ole Miss-Oklahoma game marked Nantz's first trip to Columbia ever as a broadcaster. He has been to Death Valley for a Clemson game back in the late 1980s. He has been to Atlanta over a Final Four and last month, he was at Mercedez-Benz Stadium as CBS televised Super Bowl LIII. In April, he will make his annual trips to the Augusta National Golf Club and Harbour Town Golf Links. So while Nantz has always been in the neighborhood, he had never been to Columbia on assignment until now. Nantz will be calling the action for the Friday and Sunday games that will be played at the Colonial Life Arena.

In looking at his schedule for the next few weeks, Nantz said at this point every week is comparable to what he worked just a few short weeks ago in Atlanta.

"Every week is like a Super Bowl now," Nantz said.

"This week is the most exhilerating in many respects. The most challenging, the most demanding. Because I'm sitting her trying to prepare. I've got all these boards for four different games for eight teams. I'm trying to research. Then next week, on to the regionals. Then on to the Final Four. Then, oh yeah. Right down the road, that little tradition unlike any other. So, I can't wait. It's the best one month I believe for any sports fan who could ever live."

Nantz does have a connection to Columbia as his father was once stationed at Fort Jackson.

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