Sports broadcaster Dick Vitale returns to Duke, rings victory bell at Cameron Indoor Stadium

DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) -- ESPN personality and Hall of Fame broadcaster Dick Vitale was back at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Saturday, where called so many games for ESPN.

Vitale, 85, who has been fighting cancer for the past 3 years, announced he was cancer-free on Jan. 8.

Just before Saturday's Duke vs. Stanford game, Vitale became the third person to ring the victory bell inside the arena.

The moment was special for Vitale who called many Duke games in the past.

"It's exciting. I had a lot of great memories here," he said. "And I'm looking forward to having one today. It's really great being here."

No. 3 Duke defeated Stanford 106-70 on Saturday.

Vitale returned to broadcasting for the first time in almost two years on Feb. 6 during the Duke-Clemson game, where he received an ovation from fans.

He has battled four different types of cancer in the past 3 years. Most recently, he underwent surgery in the summer of 2024 after a biopsy of a lymph node in his neck showed cancer.

In 2021, Vitale was diagnosed with lymphoma, months after he had multiple surgeries to remove melanoma. In 2022, he announced he was cancer-free. Then in 2023, he was diagnosed with vocal cord cancer and underwent radiation.

Vitale's last game assignment was nearly two years ago -- on April 3, 2023, calling the international broadcast of the San Diego State vs. UConn national championship game for ESPN. He announced he was cancer-free again in November 2023.