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5d ago

Dick Vitale, Charles Barkley to Call Indiana–Kentucky on ESPN and a First Four Game on truTV

The crossover stems from recent ESPN–TNT–CBS arrangements that allow shared on-air talent.

ESPN's Dick Vitale and former Auburn basketball player Charles Barkley at Auburn Arena in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Jan. 19, 2019. Kentucky leads Auburn 35-27 at halftime. Jc Mbbak 10
DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA - FEBRUARY 15: ESPN college basketball analyst Dick Vitale talks to the Cameron Crazies before the game between the Duke Blue Devils and the Stanford Cardinal at Cameron Indoor Stadium on February 15, 2025 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
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Overview

  • Vitale and Barkley will work Indiana vs. Kentucky on Dec. 13 at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN, with Dave O’Brien on play-by-play.
  • The duo will reunite in March 2026 to call an NCAA Tournament First Four game on truTV, with the play-by-play announcer still to be named.
  • The First Four assignment will be Vitale’s first NCAA Tournament game on U.S. television following a multi-year cancer battle and a September cancer-free update.
  • Barkley returns to game analysis for the first time since 2017 and takes on his first ESPN-produced assignment under the Inside the NBA licensing deal.
  • Executives from ESPN, TNT Sports, and CBS praised the pairing as a fan-focused event enabled by recent rights collaborations and long-expressed interest from both broadcasters.