At a time where so much is changing in college basketball, a familiar voice has returned to the sport.
After a yearslong battle with several types of cancer, resulting in a long hiatus, Dick Vitale returned to the headset for the 2025-26 season, getting back to a typical frequency of calling games.
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There were several times this didn’t seem possible. The 86-year-old had periods where he wasn’t able to talk, unable to share those signature catchphrases that made him a beloved figure in the sport.
That’s what makes his time now, cancer-free, awesome – with a capital A.
“I’m still doing games,” Vitale told USA TODAY Sports. “It’s a miracle. It’s absolutely a miracle. I get emotional about it sometimes.”
Vitale spoke with USA TODAY Sports as part of his partnership with Planet Fitness to help college basketball fans handle the excitement and intensity of March Madness, promoting its black card to help with recovery since it “is really important in your life.” It’s a thing Vitale knows all about after spending so much time recovering from a lengthy illness.
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He had three battles with cancer in a two-year span, which kept him away from the sport he cherishes so much. Vitale was itching to get back as soon as he could.
“I’ve had to recover quite a bit,” he said. “It’s been a tough ride.”
Dick Vitale greets the rest of the broadcasting table during the first half of a game on Feb. 1, 2026.
When he had a text conversation with USA TODAY Sports in March 2024, still unable to speak, Vitale made it a goal to call games in the 2024-25 season. He was able to do it, getting back in the booth for a February 2025 meeting between Duke and Clemson that became an incredibly emotional night.
But he didn’t want that to be his swan song. More than 1,000 called games isn’t enough. In June, Vitale signed an extension with ESPN through the 2027-28 season, assuring he’s far from done as he approaches 50 years with the company.
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It wasn’t weekly games called, but Vitale was able to go through the full season. He was there for the opener between Duke and Texas, and called the regular season finale between Kentucky and Florida, returning a sense of normalcy that was missing for so long.
However, that won’t be all. Vitale will be an analyst for the NCAA Tournament First Four, calling the second game on Tuesday, March 17 alongside Brian Anderson and Charles Barkley. Having previously covered the Final Four on radio, it will be the first time Vitale will be a TV analyst for a March Madness game in his illustrious career.
“I always believe in one thing, that if you think positive and have faith, and you got good people,” Vitale said, “a lot of good things are going to happen.”
Dick Vitale previews March Madness
Of course, Vitale is already planning for “a wild time of the year” — the NCAA Tournament.
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While he said it’s too early to predict how the bracket will unfold, since you don’t know the matchups yet, Vitale emphasized playing well going into Selection Sunday can determine how far a team goes.
That’s why he highlighted the likely No. 1 seeds in Duke, Arizona, Michigan and Florida.
“The team’s up on top, the heavyweights, they’re going to be tough to beat,” Vitale said. “Duke right now is playing incredible. So is Florida, so is Michigan, so is Arizona, Connecticut.”
Another team Vitale has his eye on is one that’s been at the center of debate: Miami (Ohio).
The RedHawks are the only undefeated team in the country, but questions remain as to whether the mid-major is a tournament lock if it doesn’t win the MAC tournament because of the quality of its resume. Conference title or not, Vitale believes Miami (Ohio) should be in, no matter what.
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“If they’re denied an opportunity to play, it would be criminal, because those kids have earned the right,” Vitale said. “We have a tendency to go for mediocrity out of the elite conferences, teams with 11, 12, 13 losses. But because they play a tougher schedule, they get the edge. All the metrics that are done in picking teams really favor all the elite conference teams.”
Plenty of developments – even some frustrating – but it’s a blessing; it’s March, and Vitale gets to be part of it.
“I really love what I’m doing. I think when you love something and have a passion for it, it’s really super,” he said.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dick Vitale college basketball broadcast return feels like ‘a miracle’
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