BLOOMINGTON, IN - FEBRUARY 04: ESPN basketball announcer Dick Vitale calls the Purdue Boilermakers at Indiana Hoosiers game at Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Indiana. (Photo by Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Dick Vitale Needs 2 More Throat Surgeries; Hopes to Be Ready for 2023-24 MCBB Season

Joseph ZuckerJun 22, 2023

Legendary college basketball announcer Dick Vitale announced he plans to undergo two surgical procedures on his throat this summer.

The 84-year-old said he's hopeful about being healthy in time for the start of the 2023-24 college basketball season.

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Vitale first announced in October 2021 he had been diagnosed with lymphoma. He said last August his doctors had declared him to be cancer-free.

The Hall of Famer returned to the broadcasting table in November to help call Michigan State's double-overtime victory over Kentucky in the Champions Classic.

Vitale is one of the most recognizable voices in college basketball history, and a number of his signature catchphrases have entered into the popular lexicon over the years. His exuberance and passion for the sport is evident anytime he has a microphone in his hand.

Front Office Sports' Michael McCarthy reported in March 2021 that Vitale had signed an extension with ESPN to carry him through the 2023-24 season. He told McCarthy he had set a personal goal of calling a game by the time he turns 100.