Dick Vitale shares update on voice recovery, outlines plans for rest of 2021-22 season

Dick Vitale is synonymous with college basketball on ESPN. He’s been with the network for decades now.

But, this year, as he battles cancer and a vocal cord issue, he’s had to refrain from broadcasting games in order to rest his voice.

It appears his absence will extend throughout the rest of the season, per a release on Monday:

We will miss @DickieV 's unmistakable voice the rest of this season @espn. His throat has improved significantly, yet more rest is needed & then surgery expected. He has to shut it down for the season. Here, he explains the longer "T.O., BABY": https://t.co/ivxUJg34S5

— Josh Krulewitz (@jksports) January 24, 2022

In the above release, Vitale thanks fans and ESPN for their support during this trying time, admitting that he has been emotionally and physically frustrated while going through this situation:

You know I am an eternal optimist who acts like he’s a teenager. Yet there is no doubt these past five months have been emotionally and physically frustrating. I am so appreciative of the love and care demonstrated by the incredible members of the medical community. And I will be forever grateful for the calls, texts, and social media expressions of encouragement from friends, colleagues, fans, media and members of my ESPN family. I love people, and I’m honored to receive such overwhelming support.

Hopefully, Vitale will be able to return at full strength when the 2022-23 college basketball season tips off next fall. College basketball isn’t the same without Dickie V on the mic.

Adam Spencer

Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.