Dick Vitale is a college basketball legend as a broadcaster, and he’s proven to be quite resilient as well.
Most likely have forgotten that Vitale started in the sports world as a basketball coach, but he’s become a household name because of the enthusiasm and energy he brings to the court as a broadcaster. And again, he’s been doing it for a while. He’s been with ESPN since 1979, and a newly announced deal will keep him with the network through the 2027-28 college basketball season.
The announcement of his new multi-year deal with ESPN was paired alongside an even bigger honor for the broadcasting legend. ESPN has also created the Dick Vitale Invitational, which will be a yearly men’s college basketball event that will tip-off for the very first time this season.
The inaugural Dick Vitale Invitational will feature a matchup between the Texas Longhorns and the Duke Blue Devils from the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C on Nov. 4.
“Dick is the heart of college basketball, and his kindness, generosity and courage are a constant inspiration to us all,” Jimmy Pitaro, Chairman of ESPN, 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 seemingly been focused on honoring its legends as of late. Chris Berman just got a contract that will keep him on air for his 50th season with the network, and this new contract for Vitale will butt up right with his 50 year anniversary with the network.
The four-letter network is going all-out for Vitale, as it should. He’s a legend of the game and love him or hate him (and there are some who hate-watch because of his catchphrases and over-enthusiasm), he keeps people tuned in to college basketball.
In an era where the soul of college sports itself seems to be imploding, paying homage to a voice who reminds us of “the good old days” of the sport is just good business by ESPN.
It’s not as if Vitale hasn’t earned his honors, either. He’s dealt with health issues and multiple cancer scares as of late, but still keeps finding a way to come back to the broadcast booth.
Vitale has called over 1,000 college basketball games for ESPN in his career. Why not go for a few more?
