When Duke and North Carolina rekindle college basketball’s best rivalry on Wednesday night, the game will have a distinctly different sound. That’s because for the first time in 36 years, Dick Vitale won’t be on the call.
ESPN pulls Dick Vitale from Duke-North Carolina broadcast for first time in 36 years
Dan Shulman and Jay Bilas will call Duke vs. UNC without the 75-year-old Vitale.
Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
Ricky O'Donnell has covered basketball at all levels for more than a decade at SB Nation. He’s currently the Associate Director of Programming.
Vitale had been part of the broadcasting team for every game between Duke and North Carolina since joining ESPN in 1979. In recent years, Vitale has been been part of a three-man booth with Dan Shulman and Jay Bilas, who will call the game without him on Wednesday.
The 75-year-old Vitale will still be around college basketball on your TV for some time. His contract runs through the 2016-17 season and he’s been a regular part of ESPN’s coverage throughout the season. Bilas has already replaced Vitale during ESPN’s Saturday night prime time slot games this season.
Wednesday night will be the first time Duke and North Carolina have played this season. The Tar Heels are on the road and desperately need a win after dropping three of their last four games. Duke, meanwhile, has won eight of its last nine games, which includes impressive victories at Louisville, at Virginia and vs. Notre Dame.
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