Dick Vitale extends ESPN contract through 2028, marking nearly 50 years of legendary college basketball broadcasting and inspiring resilience.
For nearly five decades, his voice has been more than just sound—it’s been the soul of college basketball. On Monday, ESPN announced that Dick Vitale, the legendary broadcaster whose energy and passion defined a sport, has signed a contract extension that will keep him on the air through the 2027–28 season.
At 86, Vitale isn’t slowing down. His joy is undiminished. His love for the game, for the players, and for the moment—still as boundless as ever.
“Awesome, baby!” has become more than a catchphrase. It’s a mantra. A way of seeing the game, and perhaps more importantly, a way of seeing life. Vitale’s new deal ensures that the man who first joined ESPN in 1979 will be with the network for nearly 50 years—a testament not just to endurance, but to enduring relevance.
On his 86th birthday, @ESPNEvents announces inaugural #NCAAMBB Dick Vitale Invitational
The annual event will honor @DickieV – one of sport’s most iconic voices & ambassadors
🗓️ Tue, Nov. 4 | Charlotte, N.C. 🏀 @TexasMBB–@DukeMBB
More: https://t.co/WKtAHR5CaN pic.twitter.com/hoTESJLBJL
— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) June 9, 2025
A Celebration of Life and Legacy
On the same day the contract was announced, ESPN revealed something more—a tribute not just to Vitale’s voice, but to his spirit. The Dick Vitale Invitational, an annual college basketball event in his name, will debut in Charlotte, North Carolina, this November. The inaugural game: Texas versus Duke. Fitting. Big names, big moments. Just like the man himself.
For Vitale, the honor is deeply personal. It’s a recognition not of longevity, but of the love he’s poured into every moment he’s spent courtside. “ESPN has given me a life even better than my dreams,” he said in a statement. For a man who dreamed big, that says everything.
He has lived out loud—from the highs of buzzer-beaters to the lows of personal trials—and through it all, he’s remained grateful. That gratitude, that joy, is woven into the very fabric of every call he’s ever made.
A Battle Bigger Than Basketball
In recent years, Vitale’s journey has gone far beyond the hardwood. In 2021, he revealed a lymphoma diagnosis. The following year, he was deemed cancer-free, only to face another setback: vocal-cord cancer in 2023. Once more, he fought. Once more, he won.
Yes Hello 86 as today I will celebrate my birthday – wow only 14 years from 100 when I walk into @DukeMBB to be the 1st @espn announcer to call a game at 100 -as Francis Albert Sinatra sang “. YOUNG AT HEART” @jksports @TheMontagGroup @ESPNPR pic.twitter.com/nev9NZ6Ydt
— Dick Vitale (@DickieV) June 9, 2025
He returned to the broadcast booth at the end of the college basketball season—his voice still raspy, perhaps, but no less powerful. And now, with his health restored and his heart still full, Vitale looks ahead. Not just to another season, but to another chance to remind us what the game can mean.
He is more than a broadcaster. He’s become a symbol of resilience, of optimism, and of unwavering spirit. When he speaks now, he speaks with a perspective few others possess. Every word carries the weight of experience, the joy of survival.
Nearly 50 Years of Magic—and Still Going
From that first game with ESPN in 1979 to now, Dick Vitale has been a constant. He’s called thousands of games, mentored generations of players, and become a voice synonymous with the game itself.
But he’s never been just about basketball. He’s about connection. Emotion. Storytelling. He brings the audience not just into the arena, but into the hearts of the players, the coaches, and the fans.
As Vitale approaches the rare milestone of 50 years on-air, he does so not as a relic, but as a beacon. Still passionate. Still purposeful. Still reminding us all that sports are more than stats—they’re stories.
His story, now etched even deeper into the game’s legacy, is one of gratitude, survival, and love.
And for at least a few more seasons, the game will still be blessed with that unmistakable echo ringing from the booth:“It’s awesome, baby—with a capital A!”
