Broadcasting Icon Dick Vitale Undergoing Surgery At MGH

BOSTON, MA — Legendary broadcaster Dick Vitale will undergo surgery on his vocal cords at Massachusetts General Hospital Tuesday morning.

Vitale, 82, was diagnosed with dysplasia and ulcerated lesions of the vocal cords and has been off the airwaves since January, ESPN reported. In true Vitale fashion, he wrote that he was advised to take "an even longer 'T.O., Baby!'"

Vitale tweeted as he left for the hospital around 7:30 Tuesday morning, saying he was anxious about the anesthesia, but that prayers from University of Tennessee basketball coach Rick Barnes were lifting his spirits.

Vitale, known for his 41-year stint as a college basketball broadcaster for ESPN, underwent cancer treatment last year. In a story on ESPN Front Row, Vitale wrote that his doctor is optimistic that he'll be back for the 2022-23 season.