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Legendary college basketball broadcaster Dick Vitale announced that he is battling cancer once again.
The 86-year-old man announced Monday that a biopsy confirmed that he has melanoma in his lung and liver cavity and that he will immediately begin immunotherapy to combat it.
This is the fifth time Vitale has been diagnosed with cancer, and melanoma is one he’s had before.
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ESPN analyst Dick Vitale before the game between the Tennessee Volunteers and Alabama Crimson Tide at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center on March 1, 2025. (Randy Sartin/Image Images)
“I have defeated melanoma,” Vitale said in a statement released by ESPN. “I have defeated lymphoma. I have defeated vocal cord cancer. I have defeated lymph node cancer. I am 4 out of 4 and I am fully confident that I am going to achieve 5 out of 5.”
Vitale made a separate post on social media on Monday, where he said he had gone through days of tests, including scans, MRIs, blood tests and a biopsy to confirm what doctors believed was cancer once again.
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“Obviously today I didn’t get the report I was expecting when my oncologist called me,” Vitale said. “Now at least I know what I’m dealing with.”
“Dickie V” is one of the most established broadcasters in American sports, delivering countless memorable calls through his natural enthusiasm for the game and his on-court moments.
Vitale’s impact on college basketball dates back to the launch of ESPN in 1979, and he has been in the sport for nearly five decades with a contract with the “Leader of the World” through the 2027-28 season.
Dick Vitale on the sidelines during the Champions Classic men’s college basketball game between the Kentucky Wildcats and the Michigan State Spartans on Nov. 15, 2022, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN. (Zach Bolinger/Sportswire Icon)
However, health problems arose in 2021 when he was diagnosed with melanoma for the first time. Lymphoma followed and she then needed chemotherapy and radiation treatments for her vocal cord cancer.
In 2024, he required surgery to remove cancerous lymph nodes from his neck, and Vitale’s iconic voice could not be heard because he was unable to speak for a time after vocal cord surgery.
But like the other four diagnoses, Vitale remains optimistic and in good spirits, saying he feels “fantastic” and ready to take on yet another battle.
“At 86 years old, I have lived an incredible life and am more motivated than ever to raise money for children fighting cancer,” Vitale said.
The New Jersey native spent time coaching at Garfield High School before taking over his alma mater, East Rutherford High School, where he led teams to two New Jersey state titles.
Dick Vitale attends the 2022 ESPYs at Dolby Theater on July 20, 2022 in Hollywood, California. (León Bennett/Getty Images)
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Vitale went on to coach as an assistant at Rutgers before heading to the University of Detroit as its head coach. He remained in Michigan City to coach the Pistons from 1978 to 1979.
Once he finished coaching the Pistons, Vitale joined ESPN and called his first college basketball game in 1979, a game in which DePaul beat Wisconsin.
