ESPN Makes Exciting Announcement on Texas, Duke
ESPN Makes Exciting Announcement on Texas, Duke originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Dick Vitale has been one of the biggest and most iconic voices in college basketball, with plenty of unforgettable moments and big games taking place with him in the booth.
Advertisement
The ESPN team has announced on June 9, Vitale's 86th birthday, a new invitational to take place annually that will honor Vitale.
Starting in the 2025 season, the Dick Vitale Invitational will be an annual event between two big collegiate programs, and the inaugural game will take place between the Texas Longhorns and Duke Blue Devils.
The inaugural game between the two historic programs will be at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina on Tuesday, November 4. The tip-off time yet to be announced.
ESPN analyst Dick Vitale.© Randy Sartin-Imagn Images
'Dick is the heart of college basketball, and his kindness, generosity and courage are a constant inspiration to us all,' said Jimmy Pitaro, Chairman, ESPN. 'Through the creation of the Dick Vitale Invitational, we will celebrate him and his profound impact on the sport. We are also thrilled that Dick will remain a signature voice on ESPN through the 2027-28 season.'
Advertisement
New head coach of the Longhorns Sean Miller will have one of his first big games being against Jon Scheyer and the Blue Devils, coming off a crushing Final Four defeat, but have reloaded in a big way for the 2025 season.
Duke has the No. 1 recruiting class in the country, with notable recruits in Cameron and Cayden Boozer, the sons of Duke legend Carlos Boozer. Add on four-star forward Nikolas Khamenia and their returning players, Duke will more than likely be a top five team in the country all season long.
Texas on the other hand ranks No. 63 in their recruiting class. Mainly due to only securing two commits, one of which being four-star forward John Clark. They have five transfers coming into Austin, Texas, all of which are also four-stars.
Miller has two Xavier players following him to the SEC, and has built a roster that is going to be competitive in a very tough conference.
Advertisement
The matchup between these two teams will give both teams a great idea of how their season will look before diving into the trenches of ACC and SEC play for the two schools.
Related: Texas to Host No. 1 QB Recruit Who Also Stars in Basketball
Related: SEC Powerhouse Lands 7-Foot-1 International Prospect
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 9, 2025, where it first appeared.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Miami Herald
24 minutes ago
- Miami Herald
After Copa America chaos, Hard Rock is strengthening security for Club World Cup
As ticket prices for Saturday's FIFA Club World Cup opener go down and several thousand go unsold, those making plans for the match are hoping it will go smoother than last year's Copa America final at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. Thousands of fans — including those without tickets — stormed the Hard Rock's gates last year to watch the final match between Argentina and Colombia. Dozens were arrested, 55 others were ejected and the game was delayed by over an hour, the Miami Herald previously reported. For Saturday's game featuring Inter Miami vs. Egyptian team Al Ahly, a Hard Rock spokesperson told the Herald in a statement that 'fans should expect to pass through multiple security and ticket check points in order to enter Hard Rock Stadium.' 'As with all stadium events, Hard Rock Stadium officials work in collaboration with local law enforcement agencies and event organizers to establish and enforce security protocols based on the unique needs of each event,' the statement said. ' … Ensuring fan safety continues to be the highest priority for all stadium events.' The Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office told the Herald that a ticket-screening process will take place at each of three checkpoints around the Hard Rock property. The Sheriff's Office has been preparing officers for the event, posting last month that its Rapid Deployment Force was training with the Broward Sheriff's Office Quick Response Force. Both teams can be quickly dispatched to major incidents. 'If things go south, we get prepared, we get ready,' Miami-Dade Sgt. Lazaro Rodriguez said in a training video. 'For civil unrest and unruly fans, this will get us ready for those events.' A previous report analyzing the security failures at the Copa America final found miscommunication and a lack of security led to much of last year's chaos, as reported by ESPN. The day before the final, Miami-Dade police had been informed 'that Texas law enforcement 'experienced difficulties removing crowds from the stadium areas' after a separate Copa América match, and that large crowds were forming in the streets near the Colombia team hotel in Florida,' according to the report obtained by ESPN. The Texas report led officials to deploy more police for the game, and ultimately at least 900 were staffed for the event. Despite having hundreds of officers, Hard Rock Stadium had allowed cars with unticketed fans onto the property, which created a security issue that officers weren't equipped to address, according to the report. In a statement Wednesday, the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office said: 'The events that unfolded in the 2024 Copa America Final were unprecedented for the entire nation, let alone Miami-Dade County.' Traffic closures for Club World Cup at Hard Rock Stadium In addition to the ticketing checkpoints, the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office is also closing some nearby roads three hours before the parking gates open, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday. The roads will return to normal traffic patterns when the parking lots open. The affected areas are 199th Street from Northwest 27th Avenue to Northwest 14th Court and also Turnpike Exit 2X.
New York Times
37 minutes ago
- New York Times
Cowboys minicamp: Jake Ferguson, George Pickens shine on Day 2; ping pong duels intensify
FRISCO, Texas — With the threat of inclement weather looming, the Dallas Cowboys held their Wednesday afternoon mandatory minicamp practice on the field inside The Star. As players went through their regular stretches and warmups, Where The Hood At by DMX — a song released a year before running back Jaydon Blue was born — started blaring through the speakers. The song choice instantly put Dak Prescott, among many other players, in a different groove as they got ready for the final practice of minicamp. Advertisement The Cowboys will take the field Thursday for a walk-through but Wednesday's session was the last practice before the team takes the field for training camp in Oxnard, Calif., next month. Let's examine some things that stood out from the two practices this week. Nearly everything observed on the field this time of year should be taken with a grain of salt. Contact is non-existent, which not only makes it impossible to gauge the players in the trenches on both lines, but also makes it tricky in other areas. For example, George Pickens had a great catch up the field on a pass from Prescott on Wednesday, with cornerback DaRon Bland in tight coverage. The play would count as a plus for Pickens but isn't necessarily a negative for Bland, who was stapled to Pickens and would have probably made a more aggressive play on the ball in different circumstances. Speaking of cornerbacks, former first-round pick Kaiir Elam, who the Cowboys acquired this offseason in a trade with the Buffalo Bills, popped out on both days. It was a little bit of good and bad. He had a nice pass breakup Tuesday on the field outside and again indoors Wednesday. On Wednesday, Elam was in coverage against CeeDee Lamb and Prescott tried to go deep to his primary receiver in the end zone. Elam made a nice play to beat Lamb to the ball but dropped the interception. It was similar to the previous day when Elam made a nice play on the ball but dropped the pass that hit him in the hands. The tempo of these minicamp practices favors the offense, and on Tuesday, Pickens was the standout. It's easy to see why there's so much excitement around the Cowboys adding him to the mix. Not only does he have reliable hands, but his route running is crisp, he stretches the field and works the underneath on plays the Cowboys anticipate turning into big yards-after-catch opportunities. 'When I play receiver, it's always about what the (defensive back) thinks you're doing,' Pickens said. 'I try to keep him on his toes at all times.' WRs are movin' 💨#DallasCowboys | @Invisalign — Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) June 10, 2025 Head coach Brian Schottenheimer is doing more from a scheme standpoint to hunt mismatches, rather than just reply on the individual talent of his playmakers. Pickens and Lamb frequently line up next to each other, sometimes getting off the line of scrimmage together and other times with one of them going in motion to the other side before the snap. Either way, it puts additional stress on the defense and makes things easier on Prescott. Advertisement The offensive standout Wednesday was Jake Ferguson. The fourth-year tight end had a great touchdown catch down the seam from Prescott during the team session. Prescott placed the ball perfectly, just behind Ferguson and away from linebacker Jack Sanborn, who had tight coverage. The middle of the field has become a money area for the connection between Prescott and Ferguson. 'That's been going back since I got here,' Ferguson said. 'I love the seam ball, he loves throwing it. We just happened to have that play called today but we've been repping that daily with routes on air and stuff like that. That's been a connection that's been building continuously. You guys just saw a piece of it today.' Ferguson, who is going into the final year of his rookie contract, is looking for a rebound year after a down season in 2024. Last season, Ferguson dealt with a knee injury, a concussion and a midseason injury to his QB1. All together, it resulted in a touchdown-less season for Ferguson. He brought that up unprompted Wednesday. 'That was something I came into this offseason really working on,' Ferguson said. 'Just really tried to dial in on that and make sure I was lights out. … That one stung but at the same time, I was asked to do different stuff, whether it be chipping or pass (protection) or something like that, and that's OK. I'm trying to do whatever it takes to have this team win and to go get our ultimate goal. So, whatever they need me to do, it's kind of just a personal thing to probably get over that hump. At the end of the day, yes, I do want to score touchdowns.' One of the most intriguing players this week — as well as the past month with OTAs — has been backup quarterback Joe Milton. He took reps Wednesday ahead of Will Grier and flashed a lot of the advertised potential. To cap off his first drive, Milton, rolling to his left, hit Ryan Flournoy for a touchdown. He'll be interesting to watch as each level amps up from training camp practices to preseason games and potentially the regular season, if circumstances require him to play. Advertisement In many ways, Milton is the complete opposite of what the Cowboys had at backup last year in Cooper Rush. That's not a slight to Milton or Rush — they're just different. Milton has all the physical tools and arm strength one would like, whereas Rush processed the game and read defenses well. Milton is only in his second NFL season and his third offensive system in the past three years. A learning curve is to be expected. Rush was in his eighth year with the vast majority of it in Dallas. Once it all comes together for Milton and he racks up more experience, there could be something there for the Cowboys. There isn't much to read into yet when it comes to the performances of the offensive and defensive lines. However, unlike last year, there's no ambiguity with who the top group includes. Every time the No. 1 offense goes on the field (from left to right), Tyler Guyton, Tyler Smith, Cooper Beebe, Tyler Booker and Terence Steele lead the charge. There will be more to say about this unit when the pads come on next month. Micah Parsons was involved in a variety of ways today, helmet and no helmet, going through some drills in individual. Parsons didn't participate in any team activities, team or 7-on-7. Parsons was around the whole time. — Saad Yousuf (@SaadYousuf126) June 11, 2025 On Tuesday, star pass rusher Micah Parsons was present for minicamp but didn't participate in on-field activities. In speaking to the media, Parsons said he was dealing with some back tightness stemming from a workout he had with Trevon Diggs. Of course, Parsons is also under the spotlight as he waits for the Cowboys to give him a monster extension that would make him one of the richest non-quarterbacks in NFL history. On Wednesday, Parsons joined the team on the field inside The Star during warmups. He was in his jersey but didn't have on a helmet. That's also how he was when individual drills began. However, Parsons soon put on his helmet and went through some individual drills, taking competitive reps against his fellow pass rushers. Parsons didn't participate in any of the team activities later but remained on the field. At one point during the team session, Parsons was on the sideline tossing the ball around with Diggs, who is still rehabbing from his injury and was not a participant at all this week. By now, it's well documented that the Cowboys have a ping pong table in the locker room. The most intense competition, at least when the media is allowed in, occurred Wednesday when Parsons played against rookie defensive tackle Jay Toia. It was a frustrating start for Parsons, who went down early against Toia, primarily because he couldn't make contact with Toia's returns. For what it's worth, Toia played while holding the ping pong paddle in an unconventional way, with his entire hand gripping the round part of the paddle. After Parsons dug himself into a deep deficit, Diggs came next to him to try and hype him up. It seemed to do the trick. Parsons mounted a huge comeback and dispatched Toia, much to DeMarvion Overshown's dismay. The match between Parsons and Toia resulted in an extremely loud locker room, with players and media standing on both sides to watch it unfold. Parsons also later beat Lamb. Juanyeh Thomas is thought to be one of the better ping pong players on the team. Earlier in the offseason, Thomas took on the praise of his ping pong skills while also sharing that he would only concede his skills to punter Bryan Anger. Anger, who also is the reigning back-to-back champion of the team's Home Run Derby and completed two passes during Wednesday's practice on fake punts, seems to have one of the more diverse skill sets on the team. (Photo of Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb: Chris Jones / Imagn Images)
Yahoo
38 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Paige Bueckers' Response After Dallas Wings' Sixth Straight Loss
Paige Bueckers' Response After Dallas Wings' Sixth Straight Loss originally appeared on Athlon Sports. After missing four games while in concussion protocol followed by an illness, Paige Bueckers returned to action for the Dallas Wings on Wednesday. Advertisement She had her best game yet as a pro by exploding for 35 points on 13-of-19 shooting from the field and hitting five of her seven 3-point attempts while adding six rebounds, four assists, one steal and one block. But the rookie couldn't prevent the Wings from losing to the Phoenix Mercury, 93-80. They now have a putrid 1-10 record, which is the worst mark in the WNBA. Bueckers was used to winning in college at UConn, and she talked about how she is dealing with losses in bunches as a pro. "It's challenging but very rewarding in a sense of you being super process-oriented and not result-oriented," she said. "How we want to have a set of standards, build a culture and have a way we do things and stick to that regardless of wins or losses... Then the results will follow and will come as we continue to stay disciplined in who we are every single day. "Just trying to lead by example, lead with my voice and just have difficult conversations. Get to know these people on and off the court and continue to build that chemistry... Just like anything in life, it's a journey." When Bueckers was at UConn, the school always reached at least the Sweet Sixteen round of the women's NCAA Tournament. In fact, during that time, the only instance in which the Huskies didn't get to the Final Four was when she missed all of the 2022-23 season with an injury. Advertisement Just a couple of months ago, they won it all by blasting South Carolina in the title game. For her college career, she averaged 19.8 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.6 assists a game while shooting 53.1% from the field and 42.3% from downtown. Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers and Minnesota Lynx forward Alanna SmithBruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images But she is now playing for a Wings franchise that has struggled in recent years. It has won just one playoff series since 2009, when it was known as the Shock and moved from Detroit to Tulsa, Oklahoma. In the meantime, look for Bueckers to continue to show patience as she develops her game and looks to become the WNBA's next superstar. Related: Caitlin Clark's Appearance at NBA Finals Draws Indiana Fever Reaction This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 12, 2025, where it first appeared.
