ESPN announced that college basketball analyst Dick Vitale has signed a new contract. Additionally, the network named a new event, the Dick Vitale Invitational, after the iconic broadcaster.
Dick Vitale Signs New Contract
Yes @espn has been so good to me for nearly 5 decades! Happy 86th Birthday, Dickie V! – ESPN Front Row https://t.co/jInaPPgoRn
— Dick Vitale (@DickieV) June 9, 2025
There is no ESPN college basketball without Dickie V.
Vitale has been one of the most recognizable broadcasters and advocates for the sport. The 86-year-old, whose birthday is today, agreed to a new multi-year contract through the 2027–28 season.
“ESPN has been such a vital part of my life since December 5, 1979, and I was so thrilled to learn that ESPN Events will have an annual Dick Vitale Invitational,” said Vitale in a statement. “Jimmy Pitaro and all my colleagues and friends at ESPN have been so good to me and I am so thankful for all of the prayers and love I have received from them during my cancer battles. ESPN has been family to me and has given me a life that has been even better than my dreams. To the Vitale family, ESPN is ‘Awesome, baby’ with a capital A!”
Vitale’s energy and ion for the sport are on full display during his games. Vitale is known for his signature catchphrases like “PTPer,” “Diaper Dandy,” and “Are you serious?”
Vitale has called over 1,000 basketball games since ing ESPN in 1979. Vitale is a member of the Naismith Basketball and Sports Broadcasting Halls of Fame.
“Dick is the heart of college basketball, and his kindness, generosity and courage are a constant inspiration to us all,” said ESPN’s Chairman Jimmy Pitaro. “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.”
If Vitale remains with ESPN in 2029, he will be one of the few employees to have worked 50 years with the company.
Vitale’s greatest accomplishment might be his work raising money for cancer research. The Dick Vitale Pediatric Cancer Research Fund has sured over $105 million in research grants for childhood cancer treatments and care.
Dick Vitale Invitational Details
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
Next season, ESPN Events and the Charlotte Sports Foundation have combined forces to create the Dick Vitale Invitational, a men’s college basketball event to honor Dickie V.
The first Dick Vitale Invitational will feature the Texas Longhorns and Duke Blue Devils.
The game will be played on Tuesday, Nov. 4, at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C. Tip-off time will be announced at a later date. The game will air on ESPN.
