6th Ranked Duke, Texas Are Tipping Off 2025-2026 Regular Season Tuesday Night As They're Opposing Each Other In Dick Vitale Invitational At Spectrum Center Home Of NBA's Charlotte Hornets
6th ranked Duke, Texas are tipping off 2025-2026 regular season Tuesday night as they’re opposing each other in Dick Vitale Invitational at Spectrum Center home of NBA’s Charlotte Hornets.
The Dick Vitale Invitational is named for College Basketball analyst, commentator Dick Vitale!
Dick Vitale, college basketball’s top analyst and ambassador, joined ESPN during the 1979-80 season—just after the network’s September 1979 launch—following a successful college and pro coaching career. In 2008, Vitale received the sport’s ultimate honor when he was selected as an inductee into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
His thorough knowledge of the game is brought forth in an enthusiastic, passionate, sometimes controversial—but never boring—style.
Vitale called ESPN’s first-ever major NCAA basketball game—Wisconsin at DePaul on Dec. 5, 1979 (a 90-77 DePaul win). Since then, he’s called over a thousand games.
He has been profiled by a wide array of national magazines, ranging from Sports Illustrated, Sport and The Sporting News to People, Playboy and Travel & Leisure. He received eight CableACE nominations, and captured awards in 1994 and 1995.
“I’m living the American dream,” Vitale once said. “I learned from my mom and dad, who didn’t have a formal education, but had doctorates of love. They told me that if you gave 110 percent all the time, a lot of beautiful things will happen. I may not always be right, but no one can ever accuse me of not having a genuine love and passion for whatever I do. And ESPN has been grateful enough to recognize this.”
And while his knowledge, preparation and enthusiasm are unparalleled, his “Vitale-isms” have unwittingly taken on a life of their own. Just a few of his many household phrases: “Awesome, Baby!,” “Get a TO, Baby!” (call a timeout), “PTP’er” (prime-time player), “M & M’er” (a mismatch), “Rolls Roycer” (a flat-out superstar), “diaper dandy” (freshman star), “All-Windex Performer” (ferocious rebounder) and “Maalox time” (the final minutes of a close game). Vitale credits Hall of Fame broadcaster Jim Simpson, who he teamed with in the early 80’s, in helping him develop his broadcast style.
But Vitale’s roots are in teaching the game he’s loved since a child. Following college, he got a job teaching at Mark Twain Elementary School (Garfield, N.J.) and coaching junior high school football and basketball. He began coaching at the high school level at Garfield High School, where he coached for one season (1963-64). He then earned four state sectional championships, two consecutive state championships, and 35 consecutive victories during his seven years at his alma mater—East Rutherford, NJ, High School (1964-70). He joined Rutgers University for two years (1970-72) as an assistant coach, helping to recruit Phil Sellers and Mike Dabney, two cornerstones on an eventual NCAA Final Four team (1976).
Vitale then coached at the University of Detroit (1973-77), compiling a winning percentage of .722 (78-30), which included a 21-game winning streak during the 1976-77 season when the team participated in the NCAA Tournament. Included in the streak was a victory in Milwaukee over Al McGuire’s eventual national champion Marquette team. In April 1977, Vitale was named Athletic Director at Detroit and later that year was named the United Fund’s Detroit Man of the Year. In May 1978, he was named head coach of the NBA’s Detroit Pistons, which he coached during the 1978-79 season prior to joining ESPN.
Vitale is also quite the philanthropist. He’s on the Board of Directors of The V Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to finding a cure for cancer and founded in 1993 by ESPN and the late Jim Valvano (an organization which has since raised over $200 million for cancer research). He hosts the annual “Dick Vitale Gala” in Florida benefiting the V Foundation, which has raised 25.2 million to date, gathering numerous celebrities to raise money and honor individuals such as Krzyzewski, Bob Knight and Pat Summitt, Billy Donovan, Tom Izzo, Jay Wright and Nick Saban and Robin Roberts.
For many years he has awarded five scholarships annually to the Boys & Girls Club of Sarasota (Fla.). His involvement with the organization was highlighted in April 1999 with the “Dick Vitale Sports Night,” an annual banquet that has raised more than $1 million. In April 2000, in recognition of Vitale’s support for the Boys and Girls Club, it was announced that a new building would be named The Dick Vitale Physical Education and Health Training Center. A statue of him stands in front of the Training Center. Vitale was inducted into the Sarasota’s Boys and Girls Club Hall of Fame at the 2001 Dinner. In 2002, Sarasota magazine named him one of the area’s most influential citizens.
He participates on selection committees for the Naismith and Wooden Awards and is a member of The Associated Press voting panel for the Top-25. He is also a voter for the Hall of Fame’s Bob Cousy Awards.
And Vitale is a popular figure even outside of sports television. He’s made cameo appearances in several movies as himself: The Naked Gun: From The Files of Police Squad! (1988, starring Leslie Nielsen), Hoop Dreams (1994 award-winning documentary), Blue Chips (1994, Nick Nolte), The Sixth Man (1997, Marlon Wayans and Kadeem Hardison), He Got Game (1998, Denzel Washington and Ray Allen) and Love and Basketball (2000). In 1995’s Jury Duty with Pauly Shore and Tia Carrere, he played “Hal Gibson.” And in 1992, he teamed with Jim Valvano to play furniture movers (“V&V Movers”) on the hit series The Cosby Show.
He was even the subject of a David Letterman Top-10 list—“Top Ten Signs Dick Vitale Is Nuts!”— in 1996—where he even read the list on the show (a couple of gems: “I’ve referred to everything as baby, except an actual baby” and “I keep repainting the roof of my house to match Dennis Rodman’s hair”). In March 1999, HBO’s Real Sports profiled Vitale.
Vitale’s also authored several books, including the most recent — Dick Vitale’s Mount Rushmores of College Basketball-Solid Gold Prime Time Performers From My Four Decades at ESPN, and It’s Awesome, Baby!: 75 Years of Memories and a Lifetime of Opinions on the Game I Love.
Vitale graduated from Seton Hall University with a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration. He also earned a master’s degree in education from William Paterson College and has 32 graduate credits beyond the master’s degree in administration.
A few of Vitale’s recent prestigious honors: In 2000, Vitale was recognized with the NABC Cliff Wells Appreciation Award for outstanding service to the college basketball coaching community and college basketball in general, and in 2001, the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) presented him with the Jake Wade Award, for contributions to college athletics and in 2008, CoSIDA honored Vitale with the prestigious Keith Jackson Eternal Flame Award given to an individual who, or an organization which, has made a lasting contribution to intercollegiate athletics, has demonstrated a long and consistent commitment to excellence and has been a loyal supporter of CoSIDA and its mission. Additionally, as part of the Washington Speakers Bureau, he has spoken at many corporate events about his efforts as a broadcaster and philanthropist.
In 2002, the Florida Association of Community Corrections presented him with their President’s Humanitarian Award for his work with young people, while in 2003, Vitale was honored with the first-ever Ethics and Sportsmanship in Sports Media Award given by the Institute for International Sport, as well as the National Pathfinder Award, co-presented by Indiana Sports Corporation and Indiana Black Expo, to individuals who have demonstrated a dedicated commitment to improving the lives of America’s youth. In 2008, he was selected as the recipient of the 2008 Naismith Men’s Outstanding Contributor to Basketball (pays tribute to individuals who made a significant impact on college basketball). The Tampa Bay Sports Commission awarded Vitale with their Lee Roy Selmon Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011 for his incredible support in the Tampa Bay sports community. In 2012, the Tampa Bay Business Journal honored Vitale as Philanthropist of the Year during their annual Health Care Heroes event. In the same year, Vitale was also named one of 13 Magnetic Men by PARC, a non-profit organization whose mission is to provide opportunities for children and adults with developmental disabilities. In addition to being inducted into their hall of fame in 2013, the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association named Vitale the Sportscaster of the Year. In 2014, he earned several awards, including the Vincent T. Lombardi Memorial Award, presented by UNICO, the Man of the Year Award from the American Cancer Society, and the Humanitarian of the Year from his alma mater Seton Hall University. The AutoZone Liberty Bowl recognized Vitale with the Distinguished Citizen Award in 2015 for his work raising money for cancer research. Vitale was also recognized by the National Association of Basketball Coaches with the Man of the Year Award. In 2023, Vitale was recognized with the Lifetime Achievement Award from Nancy Lieberman’s Dream Ball Gall, the same year he was presented with the Knute Rockne Inspiration Award. In 2025, Vitale was awarded the Dean Smith Award by the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA), which recognizes an individual in college basketball who embodies the spirit and values of the late Coach Smith, and the Winged Foot Award Legend by the New York Athletic Club, reserved for the men and women whose impact on the game of basketball has been extraordinarily profound.
In addition, he’s been selected for 14 halls of fame: National Italian Sports Hall of Fame, the Elmwood Park, N.J., Hall of Fame (his hometown), the Sarasota Boys and Girls Club Hall of Fame (inducted in inaugural class of 2001), the Five-Star Basketball Camp Hall of Fame (2003), the University of Detroit Hall of Fame, the Florida Sports Hall of Fame in 1996 (he’s a resident of the state), the East Rutherford, N.J., Hall of Fame (1985), the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame (2008), the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (2008), Sarasota Community Archives Hall of Fame (2009), the Little League Museum Hall of Excellence (2012), the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association Awards (NSSA) Hall of Fame (2013), Wooden Cup Award (2017), the National Sportscasters Hall of Fame (2018), and the Sports Club of Tampa Bay Hall of Fame (2025).
Dick Vitale was born in Passaic, New Jersey and resided in his youth in Garfield and Elmwood Park, New Jersey. He and his wife Lorraine now reside in Lakewood Ranch, Florida (Sarasota-Bradenton area), and have two daughters, Terri and Sherri, who both attended Notre Dame on tennis scholarships, and who both graduated with MBAs from the Golden Dome.
The Vitale’s proud involvement with Notre Dame includes the endowment of the Dick Vitale Family Scholarship, presented annually to Irish undergraduates who participate in Notre Dame Sports and activities that do not provide financial aid. Recipients over the years have included the school’s Leprechaun mascot, cheerleaders, and band members.
According to https://espnpressroom.com/us/bios/vitale_dick/
In recent College Basketball seasons Dick Vitale has been fighting cancer four times to be exact including melanoma lymphoma, Vocal cord cancer.
When Dick Vitale is commentating a College Basketball game he uses the word Diaper Dandy to describe how a player , players performs on court, hardwood. He uses catchphrases such as Awesome, baby Unbelievable.
Dick Vitale is likely, probably going to use those words Tuesday night when is commentating the game alongside Jay Bilas, Dan Shulman on ESPN!
Ahead of Dick Vitale Invitational ahead of the game between Duke, Texas Dick Vitale had this say about commentating the game between Duke, Texas!
“I can’t tell you how touched I was by that. I was told by the people at ESPN in programming and by those who shared that with me, I was moved to tears,” recalled Vitale. “That’s as good as it gets when your company thinks that much of you that they name an event after you. I hope I don’t get too emotional during the game, but it will be a special moment for my career.”
According to John Mamola Barrett Media article https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/QgrcJHsBnjjclcGKrLGTxTwbPVVdBQhJVpQ
Duke is member of the Atlantic Coast Conference while Texas is a member of Southeastern Conference.
Duke leads Texas 5-0 in the series!
Duke, Texas previously opposed each other on November 24, 2017 in Portland Oregon on November 24, 2017.
Then #1 Duke won 85-78 in PK80 Invitational was behind Texas had to comeback to win in overtime
Though,
before Duke won 85-78 over Texas they they had to come from behind force overtime where Marvin Bagely who then was freshman who was 12-19 on field goals, 1-2 on 3 pointers, 9-13 on free throws to go along 15 rebounds , 1 steal, 34 points. Gary Trent Jr. who was 5-14 on field goals, 0-6 on 3 pointers, 7-7 on free throws to go along 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 17 points. Grayson Allen who then was 4-11 on field goals, 2-7 on 3 pointers , 2-2 on free throws, 3 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 turnover, 12 points.
As a team,
Duke then shot 30-67 on field goals, 3-18 on 3 pointers, 22-36 on free throws, collected 50 rebounds, 21 assists, had 13 turnovers, 3 blocks, 8 steals
According to https://goduke.com/sports/mens-basketball/stats/2017-18/texas/boxscore/4492
Meanwhile,
Texas lost that game to Duke 85-78 in overtime where then Dylan Osetkowski was 9-20 on field goals , 0-5 on 3 pointers , 1-1 on free throws to go along with 5 assists , 2 turnovers, 2 steals, 19 points. Kerwin Roach II then was 7-9 on field goals, 1-1 on 3 pointers, 3-6 on free throws to go along 3 rebounds, 1 assists , 18 points. Andrew Jones was 5-11 on field goals, 2-7 on 3 pointers , 4-4 on free throws to go along 6 assists , turnover, 16 points.
According to https://texaslonghorns.com/sports/mens-basketball/stats/2017-18/duke/boxscore/11416
What is the result going to be this time around?
Duke closed out exhibition play on Sunday October 26, 2025 with a 83-76 win at Tennessee where Duke was trailing Tennessee 43-37 Sunday night at halftime in exhibition game in Knoxville.
Though, Duke who is ranked 6th in preseason AP Top 25 Poll was trailing Tennessee who is ranked 18th in preseason AP Top 25 Poll Sunday night at halftime Duke topped Tennessee 83-76 because Cameron Boozer contributed defensively, offensively.
How?
Cameron Boozer collected 23 rebounds offensively he scored 24 points was 7-20 on field goals 1-3 on 3 pointers , 9-11 on free throws to go along with 6 assists.
Though,
Cameron Boozer wasn’t the only player to contribute offensively, defensively as Isaiah Evans was 5-14 on field goals , 4-9 on 3 pointers , 8-8 on free throws to go along 5 rebounds as Patrick Ngongba was 5-6 on field goals , 1-1 on 3 pointers to go along with 9 rebounds, 3 assists , 15 points.
Following Duke being behind 43-37 to Tennessee Sunday night in Knoxville in exhibition game Duke topping Tennessee 83-76 because Cameron Boozer contributed defensively, offensively Duke Head Coach Jon Scheyer had this to say about Cameron Boozer, Isaiah Evans about his team!
then Cam was a force, an absolute force, throughout the whole game,”“I thought Isaiah really hit some timely shots
He carried us the whole way, his competitive spirit,”We treated this as a fact-finding mission,”It was let’s learn about our team, let’s grow in a hostile environment against a really good opponent. I think we did that.”
According to Chip Alexander News & Observer article https://www.newsobserver.com/sports/college/acc/duke/article312646315.html
While Duke has played pair of exhibition games the Dick Vitale Invitational is going to be Texas first game against an opponent other then themselves!
Tip off is set for 8:45pm Eastern Time 7:45pm Central Time from Spectrum Center!
The game is going to be televised on ESPN with Dave O’Brien Jay Bilas, Dick Vitale, Kris Budden commentating!
Jay Bilas, known for his extensive knowledge of men’s basketball and insightful analysis about the sports industry, joined ESPN in 1995. Bilas, who is featured on ESPN’s game and studio coverage, calls the top men’s college basketball games involving the nation’s marquee teams and conferences every week throughout the season. He joined ESPN’s Saturday Primetime telecasts in 2015, adding to his role on the popular Saturday morning, College GameDay Covered by State Farm. He has been an analyst on the show since its debut in 2005. Bilas is present at the Men’s Final Four through studio coverage and game telecasts on ESPN International. He has been an integral part of ESPN’s coverage of the NBA Draft since 2003, providing in-depth player scouting and analysis. He is a regular contributor on several ESPN shows and platforms, including SportsCenter, Get Up! and ESPN Radio. In 2024, it was announced he will join ESPN’s NBA commentator team as a game analyst.
Bilas is a nine-time Emmy nominee: Outstanding Sports Personality – Studio Analyst (2007, 2008, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023) and Outstanding Sports Personality – Event Analyst (2016, 2017, 2019). In 2016, Bilas was the recipient of the prestigious Curt Gowdy Award from the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. In 2022, Bilas was selected for induction into the Southern California Basketball Hall of Fame.
The New York Times Bestselling author of “Toughness: Developing True Strength on and Off the Court,” Bilas also writes for ESPN.com, and was awarded the Best Column of the Year in 2007 by The United States Basketball Writers Association.
A prep All-American from Los Angeles, California, the 6-7 Bilas was a four-year starter at Duke under Mike Krzyzewski from 1982-1986. As an undersized center, Bilas scored 1,062 points, grabbed 692 rebounds, and helped lead Duke to the No. 1 ranking, the 1986 ACC Championship and the 1986 NCAA Championship Game. Bilas’ 1986 Duke team set the NCAA record for the most wins in a single season with 37.
While a player at Duke, Bilas was appointed to the NCAA’s Long-Range Planning Committee, and served from 1984 through 1986. He appeared on CBS’s Face the Nation in 1985 to discuss academics and athletics and was a panelist, along with Howard Cosell, John Underwood, and Dr. Harry Edwards, on the prestigious 1986 National Sports Forum.
Drafted by the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks, Bilas played professional basketball overseas, ranking among the leagues’ top scorers in Italy during the 1987 and 1988 seasons, and then in Spain for part of the 1989 season before returning to Duke in 1990 to serve as an assistant coach on Krzyzewski’s staff, while also earning his law degree from Duke Law School. While Bilas was an assistant coach under Krzyzewski, the Blue Devils advanced to the NCAA Championship Gem three times, winning back-to-back National Championships in 1991 and 1992.
A member of the Screen Actors Guild since 1988, Bilas has appeared in nationally run television commercials and had a feature role as an alien cop in the Columbia Pictures film “I Come In Peace.” While still in high school, Bilas appeared in an episode of the popular television series “The White Shadow.”
Bilas has also distinguished himself on Twitter, having been named to Sports Illustrated’s “Twitter 100” for being among the 100 most essential Twitter follows in sports, and by Dime Magazine as the #2 “Baller” on Twitter behind only Shaquille O’Neal. Sports Illustrated honored Bilas in 2011 with the Sports Tweet of the Year. Bilas has been named one of The Ten Most Powerful Voices in Sports Media by The Hollywood Reporter, one of The 25 Most Powerful People in College Sports by Forbes, one of The 100 Most Powerful People in Sports by Hudl, and one of the 25 Most Powerful People in Sports Media by The Big Lead.
Since 1992, Bilas has been a licensed attorney with the law firm of Moore & Van Allen, PLLC, where he has specialized in commercial litigation. Bilas serves on the National Board of the Coaches vs. Cancer Organization, the Board of Advisors of the Duke Brain Tumor Center, and the Board of Directors of The V Foundation for Cancer Research.
A native of San Pedro, Calif., Bilas now resides in Charlotte, N.C., with his professional artist wife, Wendy.
Kris Budden is a college sports reporter for ESPN, working on football, basketball and baseball. She joins Bob Wischusen and Louis Riddick on one of the top crews every Saturday for ABC and ESPN’s industry-leading college football coverage. She recently made her debut on grand slam tennis coverage with reporting duties at the US Open.
Prior to joining ESPN, Kris was a sideline and feature reporter for FOX Sports, covering NFL and college football from 2013-2015. During that time, Kris also worked for FOX Sports San Diego as a host and reporter for their coverage of the San Diego Padres.
Kris also spent six years at WBIR in Knoxville. Some of the notable events she covered included the 2012 London Olympics, NCAA men’s and women’s tournaments and Pat Summitt’s retirement. She also won an Associated Press Best Sports Feature Award.
She has been recognized for her excellence in sports broadcasting, having received an Associated Press Award for Best Sports, as well as a regional Emmy for Best Talent in Sports in 2016.
Kris graduated from the University of Missouri. She and her husband currently reside in Dallas with their son and daughter.
According to https://espnpressroom.com/us/bios/bilas_jay/
https://espnpressroom.com/us/bios/dan-shulman/
https://espnpressroom.com/us/bios/kris-budden/