ESPN College Basketball Analyst Dick Vitale Delays Return to Broadcasting Following a Fall

Dick Vitale calls the game between the Kentucky Wildcats and the Michigan State Spartans during the Champions Classic at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind., on Nov. 15, 2022. Andy Lyons/Getty Images

ESPN college basketball analyst Dick Vitale has delayed his anticipated return to the broadcast booth after suffering a fall at his Florida home.

The 85-year-old, who recently announced he is cancer-free after multiple battles with the disease, was slated to call the Duke vs. Wake Forest game on Jan. 25. However, the accident has resulted in short-term physical limitations, delaying his return.

“I’m sorry that [I’m] unable to post about sports but I’m recovering from a tough fall & being kept active at the hospital,” Vitale wrote on X on Jan. 18. “Good news is the neurosurgeons have said I am making great strides & surgery [is] not necessary. So sorry that I can’t get at courtside as was planned.”

The setback is unrelated to Vitale’s previous health challenges. Over the past three and a half years, he has battled four different cancer diagnoses, including melanoma, lymphoma, and vocal cord cancer. His treatments included multiple surgeries, radiation, and chemotherapy. On Dec. 12, Vitale announced that he was cancer-free.

“I’m devastated that I won’t be courtside with my ESPN buddy Dave O'Brien and with all the players and fans, especially because of the overwhelming response I received when news of my planned return was announced,” Vitale said in a statement posted by ESPN. “I was anxiously awaiting the chance to feel the excitement and energy of a college basketball environment for the first time in nearly two years.”

Vitale last appeared on-air during the 2023 NCAA men’s basketball national championship between San Diego State and the University of Connecticut. He missed the entire 2023-24 season while battling vocal cord cancer.

Regarding his recovery from the recent fall, Vitale remains optimistic. He is expected to make a full recovery, though a specific timetable for his return to broadcasting is unknown.

“Despite this latest setback, I feel blessed to have the support of my family, friends and ESPN teammates,” Vitale said. “I’m a lucky guy and as I’ve said before, I will continue to do whatever it takes to get back to calling the sport I love.”

Vitale has been a prominent figure in college basketball broadcasting since joining ESPN in its inaugural year, 1979. He called the network’s first college basketball game and has since covered over 1,000 games, becoming one of the sport’s most iconic voices. In September, he was inducted into the Broadcasting+Cable Hall of Fame.

Outside of broadcasting, Vitale has dedicated much of his life to cancer research advocacy and fundraising. Inspired by his late friend and coaching legend Jim Valvano, who died from adenocarcinoma in 1993, Vitale has helped raise millions of dollars for the V Foundation for Cancer Research.

“There is no better ambassador for the sport of college basketball than Dick Vitale,” said Jimmy Pitaro, chairman of ESPN during Vitale’s recovery period. “Even while navigating his own health challenges, Dick continued to look for ways to give back and help others, inspiring us all.”

Born in Passaic, New Jersey, Vitale graduated from Seton Hall University with a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration and earned a master’s degree in education from William Paterson College.

He has also authored several books, including 2024’s “Until My Last Breath: Fighting Cancer With My Young Heroes,” 2014’s “It’s Awesome, Baby!: 75 Years of Memories and a Lifetime of Opinions on the Game I Love,” and 2003’s “Dick Vitale’s Living a Dream: Reflections on 25 Years Sitting in the Best Seat in the House.”

Reuters contributed to this report.