Have your pencils & scorecards ready. CBS Sports & Turner Sports have announced their broadcast teams for the upcoming NCAA Basketball Tournament. These are the men & women who have been commissioned to call the games:

1. Jim Nantz/Clark Kellogg/Tracy Wolfson (Sidelines)
2. Marv Albert/Steve Kerr/Craig Sager
3. Verne Lundquist/Bill Raftery/Rachel Nichols
4. Kevin Harlan/Reggie Miller/Len Elmore/Lewis Johnson
5. Ian Eagle/Jim Spanarkel/Allie LaForce
6. Brian Anderson/Dan Bonner/Marty Snider
7. Tim Brando/Mike Gminski/Otis Livingston
8. Spero Dedes/Doug Gottlieb/Jaime Maggio

You'll notice a few new faces on the NCAA Tournament lineup this year, including the hosts of "Lead Off" latenights on CBS Sports Network (DIRECTV 613), Doug Gottlieb & Allie LaForce, as well as new Turner Sports/CNN reporter Rachel Nichols. While Nichols joins the returning Lundquist & Raftery as the #3 crew & LaForce joins the #5 team of Eagle & Spanarkel as sideline reporters, Gottlieb replaces Bob Wenzel as analyst on the #8 and final crew listed above. The rest of the crews remain intact as CBS, TNT, TBS & TruTV (DIRECTV 246-1 in HD) will televise all 67 games over 4 networks for the third year in a row, while the Dial Global/NCAA Radio Network will provide exclusive national radio coverage.

Marv Albert, Steve Kerr & Craig Sager return as the #2 crew, and will provide the call for TruTV's coverage of the first night of the NCAA First Four Tuesday, March 19th at University of Dayton Arena in Dayton, OH. CBS will announce the crew for the second night of the First Four Wednesday, March 20th during the "Selection Sunday" special. That crew will also work the second & third rounds of the NCAA Tournament that'll also be held in Dayton Friday, March 21st & Sunday, March 23rd. Kerr will also join Jim Nantz, Clark Kellogg & Tracy Wolfson Saturday, April 6th for the Final Four & Monday, April 8th for the National Championship Game in Atlanta on CBS.

Want more? CBS & Turner will utilize 2 different studios. Turner's Ernie Johnson, Jr., Charles Barkley & Kenny Smith will be joined by NBA TV's Steve Smith March 19th for TruTV's studio coverage of the First Four, while Matt Winer & Sports Illustrated's Seth Davis headline the Atlanta crew starting with the second night of the First Four March 20th. Matt, Seth & Steve will headline the ATL crew for the first weekend of games, while EJ, Charles & Kenny share the New York studio with Greg Gumbel & Greg Anthony March 21st-23rd. Doug Gottlieb will also join the NYC team for the Regional Semifinals & Finals the following weekend March 28th-31st, while EJ heads back to Atlanta to work with Steve & Seth. Veteran CBS Sports' reporter Lesley Visser will also join the crews as a special contributor.

Marv Albert calling college ball is like driving a Rolls-Royce to the grocery store.

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Yeah, it does feel kinda awkward. Marv & Steve called a Florida State/North Carolina game about a week ago for CBS. This time of year, I think CBS does that to get their announcers more used to what they'll be calling come Tournament time.

The sports media Web site Fangsbites.com & Sports Business Daily report that it will be the end of an era this year for CBS Sports. Although CBS will continue to air the Final Four & the National Championship in 2015 and every other year through 2023, SBJ's John Ourand tweeted yesterday that TBS, which was supposed to start airing the Final Four in even-numbered years starting in 2016, will actually air the Final Four next year when the NCAA Championship occurs at "the house that (Cowboys Owner) Jerry (Jones) Built", Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, TX, 2 years ahead of schedule.

When CBS & Turner Sports became broadcast partners in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament in 2010, a stipulation in the contract was that TBS was supposed to air the Final Four starting in 2016 & alternate with CBS until the contract ends in 2024. That plan appears to have changed just a smidge, and CBS' 32nd consecutive season on the "Road to the Final Four" ending in Atlanta this year will be the last. It seems hard to believe, but CBS has broadcast every Final Four & National Championship Game since a once skinny ballplayer named Michael Jordan guided North Carolina over Georgetown to win the title way back in 1982 down in New Orleans.

Ranking the pairings from my favorite to my least favorites

Verne Lundquist/Bill Raftery/Rachel Nichols
Marv Albert/Steve Kerr/Craig Sager
Ian Eagle/Jim Spanarkel/Allie LaForce
Tim Brando/Mike Gminski/Otis Livingston
Jim Nantz/Clark Kellogg/Tracy Wolfson
Kevin Harlan/Reggie Miller/Len Elmore/Lewis Johnson
Brian Anderson/Dan Bonner/Marty Snider
Spero Dedes/Doug Gottlieb/Jaime Maggio

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As previously advertised, Marv Albert, Steve Kerr & sideline reporter Craig Sager have night #1 of the NCAA First Four Tuesday night in Dayton, OH on Turner's TruTV, DIRECTV 246 in SD & 246-1 in HD. Marv, Steve & Craig will have the descriptions of the North Carolina A&T/Liberty (VA) & St. Mary's (CA)/Middle Tennessee games tomorrow night starting at 6P.

It was also revealed on CBS Sports' "Selection Show" that Jim Nantz, Clark Kellogg & sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson will work the second night of the NCAA First Four Wednesday night on TruTV. Jim, Clark & Tracy will have the call of the LIU-Brooklyn/James Madison & LaSalle/Boise State games Wednesday, also starting at 6P. Dial Global/NCAA Radio Network will have Brad Sham & onetime former Bull Kyle Macy painting the picture for both nights, but 670 The SCORE for reasons I can't figure will ONLY carry the second games of the First Four Tuesday & Wednesday starting at 8P.

As for Thursday & Friday, once again for reasons I can't figure, WSCR will have primetime, wraparound coverage of the Dial Global/NCAA Radio Network starting at 7P both nights with host John Tautges from the Dial Global studios in New York taking listeners to various games as they happen.

As far as the assignments are concerned, have your pencils & scorecards ready.

Thursday/Saturday: (2nd/3rd Rounds)

Auburn Hills, MI: Verne Lundquist, Bill Raftery & Rachel Nichols (Sidelines)-CBS Sports
Tom McCarthy & Kelly Tripucka-Dial Global/NCAA Radio Network

Lexington, KY: Ian Eagle, Jim Spanarkel & Allie LaForce (Sidelines)-TruTV
Kevin Kugler & Jamal Mashburn-Dial Global/NCAA Radio Network

Salt Lake City: Spero Dedes, Doug Gottlieb & Jaime Maggio (Sidelines)-TBS Sports
Dave Sims & Kevin Grevey-Dial Global/NCAA Radio Network

San Jose, CA: Brian Anderson, Dan Bonner & Marty Snider (Sidelines)-TNT Sports
Ted Robinson & Bill Frieder-Dial Global/NCAA Radio Network

Friday/Sunday: (2nd/3rd Rounds)

Austin, TX: Tim Brando, Mike Gminski & Otis Livingston (Sidelines)-TNT Sports
Wayne Larrivee & Reid Gettys-Dial Global/NCAA Radio Network

Kansas City, MO-Marv Albert, Steve Kerr & Craig Sager (Sidelines)-TruTV
Kevin Calabro & Will Perdue-Dial Global/NCAA Radio Network

Dayton, OH-Jim Nantz, Clark Kellogg & Tracy Wolfson (Sidelines)-TBS Sports
Gary Cohen & Pete Gillen-Dial Global/NCAA Radio Network

Philadelphia-Kevin Harlan, Reggie Miller, Len Elmore & Lewis Johnson (Sidelines)-CBS Sports
Scott Graham & John Thompson-Dial Global/NCAA Radio Network

I miss Gus yelling & screaming already...

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CSFMB 2014 Nascar Pick 'em Champion

We don’t have a trillion-dollar debt because we haven’t taxed enough; we have a trillion-dollar debt because we spend too much. — Ronald Reagan

I do too. When Gus left CBS Sports a couple years ago, he also vacated his "March Madness" gig. He more than makes up for it with his many FOX Sports assignments.

If FOX Sports One wrestles away the NBA from ESPN/ABC or TNT come 2015, I bet Gus & his screaming would be front & center at the top of the network's wish list.

Gus was yelling during the Illinois game in the Big Ten tournament.

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Gus is always yelling. I love the guy.

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CSFMB 2014 Nascar Pick 'em Champion

We don’t have a trillion-dollar debt because we haven’t taxed enough; we have a trillion-dollar debt because we spend too much. — Ronald Reagan

Classic Gus on BTN...Already on YouTube.