"OH OH ARE YOU SERIOUS": College hoops fans react to Dick Vitale returning to broadcasting for Duke

After being cleared to return to broadcasting last month, legendary sports broadcaster Dick Vitale is set to reclaim his place in the ESPN lineup on Saturday. He was declared free of vocal cord cancer in December and will call the Duke vs. Wake Forest college basketball game that day.

This marks Vitale’s first game since April 3, 2023, when he covered the San Diego State vs. University of Connecticut National Championship Game for an international audience. Fans went on Instagram to share their excitement at the news.

"U KNOW WHAT THAT IS!! ITS AWESOME BABY!!!!" One fan wrote.

"Really the voice of college bball," another fan wrote.

"OH ARE YOU SERIOUS," another fan wrote.

Screenshots via Instagram

"That's awesome, baby!! -Dickie V," one fan commented.

"THE GOAT," another fan wrote.

"He backkkkk," another fan wrote.

Screenshots via Instagram

You can follow the conversation in the post below.

Legendary broadcaster Dick Vitale will return to call Duke game on Jan. 25

Dick Vitale’s journey back to broadcasting is nothing short of remarkable. After battling cancer multiple times in recent years, he'll be bringing his enthusiasm and basketball insights to fans once again.

Vitale has faced a series of health challenges, starting with a melanoma diagnosis in 2021, followed by lymphoma just months later. In July 2023, he announced he had vocal cord cancer, which he overcame after undergoing five major surgeries, 65 radiation treatments, and six months of chemotherapy.

Then, last summer, Vitale revealed another cancer diagnosis in his lymph nodes, leading to surgery in July. Through it all, his resilience has been unwavering.

"I am absolutely ecstatic, and I can’t believe this is happening after going through five major vocal cord surgeries, 65 radiation treatments, and chemotherapy for six months," Vitale said.

It’s been a very tough journey, but all the prayers and messages from the beautiful fans have inspired me. I can’t thank (ESPN Chairman) Jimmy Pitaro and all of my ESPN colleagues, who I consider my second family, enough for the love they showed me through such a tough time. I just hope that I can offer the people some basketball insights that can bring even more excitement to the game."

Vitale’s impact on the sport and beyond is profound. He has called over 1,000 college basketball games for ESPN, and in September 2022, he was inducted into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame.

Off the court, he is a tireless advocate for cancer research. Through the Dick Vitale Gala and the Dick Vitale Pediatric Cancer Research Fund, nearly $100 million has been raised for the V Foundation for Cancer Research, which has contributed around $400 million to cancer research grants across North America.