Dick Vitale Credit: The Topeka Capital-Journal

Dickie V is back, baby!

ESPN announced Friday morning that the legendary Dick Vitale will return to the broadcast booth (or sidelines) come Saturday, Jan. 25. Alongside Dave O’Brien, Vitale will return to the mic for the first time since 2023 after being given a clean bill of health by his doctors.

Vitale, who has battled four different types of cancer in the past three years, has been cancer-free as of earlier this month. And in itching to get back to calling college basketball, ESPN has granted the former Detroit coach an ACC matchup to get his feet under him.

The network put forth a release that puts Vitale on the airwaves for Duke-Wake Forest next Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET. It’s not Tennessee-Auburn, which will have ESPN’s College GameDay on hand, but a matchup between two ACC foes in Winston-Salem offers Vitale the perfect opportunity to ease back into his role.

With the NFL’s conference championship games set for Sunday, Vitale’s Saturday return avoids any direct competition with playoff football, ensuring a built-in audience ready to welcome him back to the mic.

“I am absolutely ecstatic and I can’t believe this is happening after going through five major vocal cord surgeries, 65 radiation treatments and chemotherapy for six months,” said Vitale. “It’s been a very tough journey, but all of the prayers and messages from the beautiful fans have inspired me. I can’t thank Jimmy Pitaro and all of my ESPN colleagues who I consider my second family enough for the love they showed me through such a tough time. I just hope that I can offer the people some basketball insights that can bring even more excitement to the game.”

Added ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro: “There is no better ambassador for the sport of college basketball than Dick Vitale. Even while navigating his own health challenges, Dick continued to look for ways to give back and help others, inspiring us all. Dick is one-of-a-kind and we can’t wait to have him back doing what he loves most on ESPN on January 25.”

After everything Vitale has endured, hearing his unmistakable energy and passion back on the mic will be a special moment for him and the network.

ESPN’s college basketball coverage just hasn’t been the same without him.

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.