Welcome back, Dickie V! Hall of Fame broadcaster Dick Vitale returns to the air on ESPN Saturday, January 25th

Editor’s Note: ESPN commentator Dick Vitale’s return to calling games has been postponed due to an accident at his home. Full explanation here.

Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame broadcaster Dick Vitale will be on the air for the first time since 2023 for the Duke at Wake men’s college basketball game on Saturday, January 25 (4:30 p.m. ET, ESPN). to call Forest. The legendary voice of college basketball, who has battled four different types of cancer over the past three and a half years, announced Jan. 8 that he is cancer-free.

Vitale will host the ACC matchup along with a play-by-play commentator Dave O’Brien at the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Winston Salem, NC

“I am absolutely thrilled and can’t believe this is happening after six months of having five major vocal cord surgeries, 65 radiation treatments and chemotherapy,” Vitale said. “It has been a very hard journey but all the prayers and messages from the wonderful fans have inspired me. I cannot thank Jimmy Pitaro and all of my ESPN colleagues, whom I consider my second family, enough for the love they have shown me during such a difficult time. I just hope I can give people some insight into basketball that can add more excitement to the game.”

“There is no better ambassador for the sport of college basketball than Dick Vitale. “Even while overcoming his own health challenges, Dick continued to look for ways to give back and help others, which inspired us all,” he said Jimmy PitaroChairman, ESPN. “Dick is one of a kind and we can’t wait to see him back doing what he loves most on January 25th on ESPN.”

“After all the struggles and challenges Dick has been through over the last few years, we should all be happy that we can have him back on the field,” he said David CeislerVice President of Production. “He fought tirelessly for everyone else and it is so fulfilling to see him win another battle.”

Vitale’s last game appearance was almost two years ago – on April 3, 2023, when he called the international broadcast of the San Diego State vs. UConn National Championship for ESPN.

Vitale joined ESPN during the 1979-80 season, shortly after ESPN’s launch, and hosted the network’s first major NCAA basketball game on December 5, 1979. Since then, he has hosted well over 1,000 games, and in September 2024, he was inducted into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame.

Vitale was one of the leading voices of the V Foundation for Cancer Research, Founded in 1993 by ESPN and the late Jim Valvano, Vitale’s close friend. With the help of ESPN and Vitale’s efforts, the V Foundation has funded nearly $400 million in groundbreaking grants for cancer research in North America. Since the Dick Vitale Gala’s inception in 2005, nearly $93 million has been raised for the V Foundation’s Dick Vitale Pediatric Cancer Research Fund.