ESPN has announced that Hall of Famer Dick Vitale has returned to broadcasting after his recent battle with cancer
One of the leading voices in college basketball is returning to the air after a nearly two-year hiatus. Dick Vitale’s last television appearance for ESPN was on April 3, 2023.
Vitale was on the call for the international broadcast of that season’s men’s basketball national championship game between the UConn Huskies and the San Diego State Aztecs.
The Hall of Fame broadcaster is scheduled to resume his analytical career on Jan. 25 when Duke takes on Wake Forest in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The 85-year-old’s comeback comes after more than three-and-a-half years of battling four different types of cancer.
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College basketball player Dick Vitale before the SEC Tournament game between the Texas A&M Aggies and the Arkansas Razorbacks March 11, 2022, at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla. (Peter Jonleit/Ikon Sportwire via Getty Images)
Vitale underwent the most recent medical procedure last summer after a lymph node biopsy in his neck revealed cancer. Earlier this month, the popular broadcaster declared himself cancer-free.
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In the year In 2021, months after undergoing several surgeries to remove melanoma, Vitale was diagnosed with lymphoma. He declared himself cancer free the following year. In the year In 2023, Vitale was diagnosed with vocal cord cancer and underwent radiation therapy.
Dick Vitale on the sidelines during the Men’s Champions Classic college basketball game between the Kentucky Wildcats and the Michigan State Spartans at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Nov. 15, 2022 in Indianapolis. (Zach Bollinger/ICON Sportswear via Getty Images)
“I’m so happy, and I can’t believe this is after five major vocal cord surgeries, 65 radiation treatments and six months of chemotherapy,” Vitale said in a statement.
“It’s been a tough journey, but all the prayers and messages from the beautiful fans have inspired me. I can’t thank Jimmy Pitaro and all my ESPN colleagues enough for the love they’ve shown me, who I consider my second family. I hope to bring basketball insights to people that bring more joy to the game.”
ESPN analyst Dick Vitale is known for his return to Allen Fieldhouse. (Ed Zurga/Getty Images)
“It’s one-of-a-kind,” ESPN chairman Pietro Vitale said.
“There is no better ambassador for the sport of college basketball than Dick Vitale. Even though Dick was dealing with his own health challenges, Dick continued to find ways to give back and help others, inspiring us all,” Pitaro said in a statement. “Dick is one of a kind, and we can’t wait for him to do what he loves so much on Jan. 25 on ESPN.”
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Vitale has been with ESPN for more than four decades, joining the network during the 1979-80 college basketball season. Since then, he has called more than 1,000 games.
Vitale was inducted into the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame in September.
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