Some people might say they eat, sleep and breathe March Madness, but Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports has genuinely adopted that lifestyle.
Rothstein joined CBS Sports as a college basketball insider in 2010. He started becoming a regular contributor in 2016. Five years later, he started working NCAA Tournament games as a sideline reporter.
"In addition to his role with CBS Sports, Rothstein has served as a national columnist for both CBSSports.com and FanRag Sports," Rothstein's bio for Paramount states. "His work has been featured in both the New York Times and Sports Illustrated. He currently authors a daily column titled "The Breakfast Buffet" at www.collegehoopstoday.com, serving as a primer for each day during the college basketball season."
Andrew Marchand of The Athletic recently sat down with Rothstein to discuss the 2026 NCAA Tournament. He couldn't help but ask Rothstein if he'd hypothetically miss his brother's wedding if it were scheduled on the same day as the Final Four.
"I got a doubleheader to cover – sorry," Rothstein replied. "This is something I've argued with family members. I've missed bar mitzvahs, friends' weddings, and so on and so forth."
Rothstein then revealed that he once missed a friend's engagement party to cover the Final Four.
"I remember I was friendly with a guy I went to Ithaca with – never thought he was a great guy, but we were friendly. His engagement party was during the 2011 Final Four, and he couldn't believe I was going to work instead of going to his engagement party. … What are you going to miss Kemba Walker leading UConn to their third national title under Jim Calhoun?"
If Jon Rothstein's brother was getting married on Final Four Saturday, would he go to the wedding? 😂😂 https://t.co/wbvAnnBYg2pic.twitter.com/9ZUQrHOvaY
— Andrew Marchand (@AndrewMarchand) March 18, 2026
Jon Rothstein will be quite busy this Friday.
CBS confirmed that Rothstein will be sideline reporter for four games on Friday. He'll work alongside play-by-play announcer Spero Dedes and color commentator Jim Spanarkel.
Here's the schedule for Rothstein:
- No. 10 Santa Clara vs. No. 7 Kentucky at 12:15 p.m. ET
- No. 15 Tennessee State vs. No. 2 Iowa State at 2:50 p.m. ET
- No. 15 Queens vs. No. 2 Purdue at 7:35p.m. ET
- No. 10 Missouri vs. No. 7 Miami (FL) at 10:10 p.m. ET
Fans should expect to see Rothstein during this Sunday's coverage of the NCAA Tournament as well.
Rothstein won't get to sleep until May.
This story was originally published by The Spun on Mar 18, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Basketball section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.