Wed Dec 03 01:40:00 UTC 2025: Summary:

ESPN and TNT Sports’ partnership has led to a unique on-air pairing: Charles Barkley and Dick Vitale. The basketball icons will announce one regular-season college basketball game between Kentucky and Indiana on December 13th for ESPN, and a First Four NCAA tournament game in March for truTV. This collaboration fulfills a long-held desire for both Barkley and Vitale, who have expressed mutual admiration and a wish to work together for years. For Vitale, this marks his first opportunity to call an NCAA tournament game after a legendary career primarily with ESPN.

News Article:

Barkley and Vitale to Team Up for College Basketball Broadcasts in ESPN/TNT Partnership

Bristol, CT – In a surprising yet highly anticipated move, basketball legends Charles Barkley and Dick Vitale are set to join forces in the broadcast booth. ESPN announced Monday that the pair will call two college basketball games this season as part of the expanding partnership between ESPN and TNT Sports.

The duo’s first assignment will be on December 13th, when No. 18 Kentucky hosts No. 22 Indiana on ESPN. Veteran play-by-play announcer Dave O’Brien will round out the broadcast team. Barkley and Vitale will then reunite in March to provide commentary for a First Four NCAA tournament game, to be aired on truTV.

This collaboration fulfills a long-held aspiration for both analysts. In a 2013 interview, Barkley expressed his desire to work alongside Vitale, citing his passion and impact on college basketball. Vitale echoed the sentiment, anticipating a fun and energetic broadcast dynamic.

The new paring is a direct result of CBS partnering with TNT Sports to expand its tournament coverage in recent years and ESPN and Turner Sports have partnered for multiple deals, including the high-profile arrangement for ESPN to carry TNT’s beloved NBA studio show Inside the NBA starting this season.

For Vitale, 86, this opportunity marks a significant milestone. Despite being the voice of ESPN’s college basketball coverage since 1979, he has never before called an NCAA tournament game. After recent battles with cancer, Vitale’s return to broadcasting has been widely celebrated, making this partnership with Barkley all the more special.

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