Mar 1, 2025; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; ESPN analyst Dick Vitale before the game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Alabama Crimson Tide at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center. Mar 1, 2025; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; ESPN analyst Dick Vitale before the game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Alabama Crimson Tide at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-Imagn Images
College BasketballESPNBy Sam Neumann on

He’s back, baby!

On his 86th birthday, Dick Vitale agreed to a new extension with ESPN that will keep him with the network through the 2027-28 season. That deal puts Vitale on track to reach the 50-year mark with the Worldwide Leader and maybe even call games as a 90-year-old.

In celebrating Vitale’s birthday and legacy, the network is teaming up with ESPN Events and the Charlotte Sports Foundation to launch the Dick Vitale Invitational, a new annual men’s college hoops showcase. The first one tips off Tuesday, Nov. 4, at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte and will feature Texas vs. Duke, a high-profile matchup befitting the man being honored.

“Dick is the heart of college basketball, and his kindness, generosity, and courage are a constant inspiration to us all,” said ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro said in a statement. “Through the creation of the Dick Vitale Invitational, we will celebrate him and his profound impact on the sport. We are also thrilled that Dick will remain a signature voice on ESPN through the 2027-28 season.”

“ESPN has been such a vital part of my life since December 5, 1979, and I was so thrilled to learn that ESPN Events will have an annual Dick Vitale Invitational,” Vitale added. “Jimmy Pitaro and all my colleagues and friends at ESPN have been so good to me, and I am so thankful for all of the prayers and love I have received from them during my cancer battles. ESPN has been family to me and has given me a life that has been even better than my dreams. To the Vitale family, ESPN is ‘Awesome, baby’ with a capital A!”

Vitale’s return comes after a long and public battle with cancer. He missed the entirety of the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons while undergoing treatment for multiple diagnoses, including vocal cord cancer and cancer in his lymph nodes. He had surgery, radiation, and months of recovery. Still, he stayed connected to fans the entire time, posting candid health updates and videos throughout.

In January, he shared the news that he was officially cancer-free. His return to the mic came just a few weeks later, on Feb. 8, when he called Duke-Clemson. By March, he confirmed that both his scans and bloodwork remained clear.

The Worldwide Leader has been commended for its handling of longtime voices like Vitale, Lee Corso, and Hubie Brown. And for all the criticism thrown its way, ESPN hasn’t forgotten the value of loyalty or legacy.

So yes, he’s back. And college basketball is better for it.

About Sam Neumann

Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.

View all posts by Sam Neumann