WHAT: Cumulus Media’s Westwood One and the NCAA will broadcast the 2022 NCAA Men’s Final Four and Championship Game in Spanish for the fifth consecutive tournament. This event will be produced by Westwood One and presented by Werner Ladder, the official ladder of the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships. Westwood One is the exclusive national audio partner of the NCAA.
“Werner is excited to be back as the presenting sponsor of the 2022 NCAA Men’s Final Four in Spanish for the fifth year,” said Stacy Gardella, head of global marketing & technology operations for Werner Co. “The Spanish language broadcast enables Werner to reach a growing audience of basketball fans while supporting Werner’s position as the official ladder of the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships.”
WHO: For the fifth straight tournament, the Spanish-language broadcast will be called by Rafael Hernández Brito (play-by-play). Former All-American Greivis Vásquez will provide analysis for the fourth time, and former Puerto Rican national team coach Carlos Morales will serve as the pregame/halftime host.
- – Rafael Hernández Brito, known as Rafa “El Alcalde”, is a veteran broadcaster and has been the Spanish play-by-play voice for the Cleveland Cavaliers for the last seven seasons. Prior to joining the Cavs, he was the Spanish voice of the Brooklyn Nets for two seasons and has also called St. John’s University basketball. His national broadcast experience includes eight years as the voice of the NFL en Español for Univision, and he has called 11 Super Bowls. He has also done Spanish play-by-play for the Miami Dolphins, as well as for Major League Baseball, boxing, and UFC. With the 2015 NBA Finals, he became the first broadcaster in the United States to call the Finals of all three major sports in Spanish. He has called the Final Four and Championship Game in Spanish for the network the past four NCAA tournaments.
- – Greivis Vásquez is one of the most successful Hispanic basketball players ever to wear a uniform. Greivis, a native of Venezuela, was a former All-American point guard at University of Maryland, where he led the Terrapins to three NCAA Tournament appearances. As a senior, he was named ACC Player of the year, and the winner of the Bob Cousy award, given annually to the best collegiate point guard in the nation. He was selected by the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the NBA Draft in 2010 and played for six teams in his seven years in the league. Greivis also played for the Venezuelan National Team and led the squad to the 2014 FIBA South American Championship. In 2012, he was honored as a “Champion of Change” at the White House for his efforts as a sports diplomat in the United States and his native Venezuela.
- Carlos Morales joins Westwood One for the second time, his first as pregame/halftime host. Morales was on the coaching staff of the Puerto Rican national basketball team for a decade, during which time, they participated in two Olympic Games, three world championships and three Goodwill Games. During his time there, the national team captured five gold medals and seven silver medals in international competitions. He has also coached professional basketball in both Venezuela and the Dominican Republic, before joining ESPN as a television analyst in 2000. He called the Final Four and Championship Game in Spanish for ESPN International from 2005-2018, and for Westwood One last season.
WHEN: Westwood One Sports will present full play-by-play Spanish action from the NCAA Men’s Final Four at Caesars Superdome, on Saturday, April 5 at 6 p.m. ET, and the National Championship Game on Monday, April 7 at 9:00 p.m. ET.
HOW TO LISTEN: Spanish language coverage can be heard on terrestrial radio stations nationwide, via satellite radio in Sirius channel 135 / XM channel 202. It can be streamed online for free on westwoodonesports.com. Additionally, the broadcasts will be available for free via the NCAA March Madness Live app or The Varsity Network app. Fans can also access live audio via Alexa-enabled devices by saying, “Alexa, open Westwood One Sports”. TuneIn.com premium subscribers can also hear all the action live.
NCAA, Final Four, and March Madness are trademarks of the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
