ESPN announces Hall of Famer Dick Vitale’s return to broadcasting after a recent battle with cancer
One of the most iconic voices in college basketball is returning to the airwaves after a nearly two-year hiatus. Dick Vitale’s last television assignment for ESPN was on April 3, 2023.
Vitale was on the call for the international broadcast of that season’s men’s national basketball game between the UConn Huskies and the San Diego State Aztecs.
The Hall of Fame broadcaster is scheduled to resume his commentary duties when Duke takes on Wake Forest Jan. 25 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The 85-year-old’s comeback comes after battling four types of cancer in 3½ years.
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College basketball legend Dick Vitale before the SEC championship game between the Texas A&M Aggies and the Arkansas Razorbacks on March 11, 2022, at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla. (Peter Joneleit/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Vitale underwent his latest medical procedure last summer after a lymph node test in his neck showed cancer. Earlier this month, the famous broadcaster announced that he is cancer free.
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In 2021, a few months after undergoing multiple surgeries to remove melanoma, Vitale was diagnosed with lymphoma. The following year, he announced that he was cancer-free. In 2023, Vitale was diagnosed with vocal cord cancer, and underwent radiation therapy.
Dick Vitale on the sideline during the Champions Classic men’s basketball game between the Kentucky Wildcats and the Michigan State Spartans Nov. 15, 2022, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. (Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
“I’m very happy, and I can’t believe that this happened after five major voice surgeries, 65 radiation treatments and six months of chemotherapy,” Vitale said in a statement.
“It’s been a very difficult journey, but all the prayers and messages from the wonderful fans have encouraged me. I can’t thank Jimmy Pitaro and all my colleagues at ESPN who consider me like my second family enough for the love they have shown me. In such a difficult time I just hope that I can give people a basketball experience that can bring more excitement to the game .”
ESPN analyst Dick Vitale is recognized for his return to Allen Fieldhouse. (Ed Zurga/Getty Images)
Pitaro, ESPN’s chairman, said Vitale is “one of a kind.”
“There is no better ambassador for the sport of college basketball than Dick Vitale. Even as he navigated his life challenges, Dick continued to look for ways to give back and help others, an inspiration to all of us,” Pitaro said in a statement. “Dick is one of a kind, and we can’t wait to get back to doing what he loves so much on ESPN on Jan. 25.”
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Vitale has been with ESPN for more than four decades, joining the network during the 1979-80 college basketball season. He has called more than 1,000 games.
Vitale was inducted into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame in September.
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