Dick Vitale, before calling March Madness game, says return 'a miracle'

At a time where so much is changing in college basketball, a familiar voice has returned to the sport.

After a yearslong battle with several types of cancer, resulting in a long hiatus, Dick Vitale returned to the headset for the 2025-26 season, getting back to a typical frequency of calling games.

There were several times this didn't seem possible. The 86-year-old had periods where he wasn't able to talk, unable to share those signature catchphrases that made him a beloved figure in the sport.

That's what makes his time now,cancer-free, awesome – with a capital A.

"I'm still doing games," Vitale told USA TODAY Sports. "It's a miracle. It's absolutely a miracle. I get emotional about it sometimes."

Vitale spoke with USA TODAY Sports as part of his partnership with Planet Fitness to help college basketball fans handle the excitement and intensity of March Madness, promoting its black card to help with recovery since it "is really important in your life." It's a thing Vitale knows all about after spending so much time recovering from a lengthy illness.

He had three battles with cancer in a two-year span, which kept him away from the sport he cherishes so much. Vitale was itching to get back as soon as he could.

"I've had to recover quite a bit," he said. "It's been a tough ride."

When he had a textconversation with USA TODAY Sports in March 2024, still unable to speak, Vitale made it a goal to call games in the 2024-25 season. He was able to do it, getting back in the booth for a February 2025 meeting betweenDuke and Clemson that became an incredibly emotional night.

But he didn't want that to be his swan song. More than 1,000 called games isn't enough. In June,Vitale signed an extension with ESPN through the 2027-28 season, assuring he's far from done as he approaches 50 years with the company.

It wasn't weekly games called, but Vitale was able to go through the full season. He was there for theopener between Duke and Texas, and called the regular season finale between Kentucky and Florida, returning a sense of normalcy that was missing for so long.

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However, that won't be all. Vitale will be an analystfor the NCAA Tournament First Four, calling the second game on Tuesday, March 17 alongside Brian Anderson and Charles Barkley. Having previously covered the Final Four on radio, it will be the first time Vitale will be a TV analyst for a March Madness game in his illustrious career.

"I always believe in one thing, that if you think positive and have faith, and you got good people," Vitale said, "a lot of good things are going to happen."

Dick Vitale previews March Madness

Of course, Vitale is already planning for "a wild time of the year" — the NCAA Tournament.

While he said it's too early to predict how the bracket will unfold, since you don't know the matchups yet, Vitale emphasized playing well going into Selection Sunday can determine how far a team goes.

That's why he highlighted the likelyNo. 1 seeds in Duke, Arizona, Michigan and Florida.

"The team's up on top, the heavyweights, they're going to be tough to beat," Vitale said. "Duke right now is playing incredible. So is Florida, so is Michigan, so is Arizona, Connecticut."

Another team Vitale has his eye on is one that's been at the center of debate:Miami (Ohio).

The RedHawks are the only undefeated team in the country, but questions remain as to whether the mid-major is a tournament lock if it doesn't win the MAC tournament because of the quality of its resume. Conference title or not, Vitale believes Miami (Ohio) should be in, no matter what.

"If they're denied an opportunity to play, it would be criminal, because those kids have earned the right," Vitale said. "We have a tendency to go for mediocrity out of the elite conferences, teams with 11, 12, 13 losses. But because they play a tougher schedule, they get the edge. All the metrics that are done in picking teams really favor all the elite conference teams."

Plenty of developments – even some frustrating – but it's a blessing; it's March, and Vitale gets to be part of it.

"I really love what I'm doing. I think when you love something and have a passion for it, it's really super," he said.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Dick Vitale college basketball broadcast return feels like 'a miracle'

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Dick Vitale, before calling March Madness game, says return 'a miracle'

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2026 Ivy League women's basketball tournament: Bracket, schedule, TV

The 2026 Ivy League women's basketball tournament begins Friday.

Four teams will vie for the conference title beginning Friday, March 13 at Newman Arena in Ithaca, New York, on the Cornell University campus.

Princeton, which has gotten the Ivy League's automatic bid in five of the past eight seasons, is the No. 1 seed. The Tigers have a 24-3 overall record; they're 12-2 in the conference. They are joined in the tournament byColumbia, Harvard andBrown.

Here's everything you need to know about the Ivy League tournament:

When is the Ivy League tournament scheduled?

The 2026 Ivy League women's basketball tournament begins Friday, March 13 and runs through Saturday, March 14, at Newman Arena in Ithaca, New York, on the Cornell University campus. Play begins at 4:30 p.m. ET Friday for the semifinals.

The Ivy League championship game is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, March 14.

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How to watch women's Ivy League tournament

The Ivy League semifinals can be streamed on ESPN+. The championship will be broadcast on ESPNU.

2026 Ivy League women's basketball tournament bracket

Ivy League tournament schedule, bracket, scores

The 2026 Ivy League women's basketball tournament unfolds over two days during March, with all games played at Newman Arena in Ithaca, New York, on the Cornell University campus.

Friday, March 13

No. 1 Princeton vs. No. 4 Brown, 4:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+)No. 2 Columbia vs. No. 3 Harvard, 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

Saturday, March 14

Championship

Semifinal winners, 5:30 p.m. ET, ESPNU

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:2026 Ivy League women's basketball tournament bracket, schedule, TV

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2026 Ivy League women's basketball tournament: Bracket, schedule, TV

The 2026 Ivy League women's basketball tournament begins Friday. Four teams will vie for the conference ti...

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Lawsuit alleges former Chili's worker fired over transgender identity

A former employee ofChili's Grill and Barin suburban Chicago says they were fired after just three and a half weeks on the job after their manager learned they weretransgender, according to claims made in a recently filed federal lawsuit.

Hudson Webber, a transgender man assigned female at birth, said a manager at the Rosemont, Illinois, casual dining spot explicitly cited Webber's "personal values and lifestyle values" as the reason for theirterminationon May 12, 2025, according to the lawsuit.

The complaint, filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, says that when Webber asked to speak to someone else, the manager said the decision had been made jointly with the regional manager and that a worker at a separate location was being let go for the same reason.

A spokesman for Brinker International, the publicly traded corporation that owns Chili's, said the company was "unable to comment or share any further details at this time" given the ongoing litigation.

According tothe complaint, Webber was hired April 17, 2025, and met or exceeded performance expectations. Within two weeks, the work atmosphere had shifted, Webber said: In the days leading up to their firing, Webber was "repeatedly called off from scheduled shifts."

In one instance, the lawsuit described, Webber was told not to report for duty because a pipe rupture had forced the restaurant to close. However, Webber later learned the story had been fabricated and that the restaurant had in fact stayed open and staffed, his lawyers alleged.

"In reality, Plaintiff was intentionally being excluded from work because management did not want Plaintiff present," the complaint says.

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On May 12, it says, the manager called and said Webber would be let go because their "personal values and lifestyle values" did not align with the restaurant. According to the complaint, the manager referenced Webber's sex and gender identity.

"The decision to terminate Plaintiff was made only after management became aware of Plaintiff's gender identity and expression," the complaint alleges. Webber's termination had nothing to do with job performance, "instead based on discriminatory views" about such identity, it says.

According to the suit, Webber has suffered loss of income, emotional distress and humiliation and seeks, among other things, back pay and compensatory and punitive damages.

Research shows trans people face higher rates of workplace discrimination than the general population, said Ash Lazarus Orr of Advocates for Trans Equality, a national advocacy group in Washington, D.C. Orr was commenting on trans discrimination in general and not specifically about the Webber case.

Surveys have found that significant numbers of trans workers report being fired, denied promotions, or mistreated on the job because of their gender identity, Orr said, contributing to broader economic disparities within the trans community.

"What we are seeing is continued evidence that trans workers remain vulnerable to unfair treatment in the workplace," he said.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Lawsuit alleges former Chili's worker fired over transgender identity

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Lawsuit alleges former Chili's worker fired over transgender identity

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Tornado kills 2 in Indiana with another bout of dangerous storms ongoing

Dangerous storms with tornadoes and giant hail tore across the Central US overnight Tuesday into Wednesday, killing at least two people.

Wednesday evening into early Thursday, this powerful line of severe storms with damaging winds barreled across the Gulf Coast, spawning several tornadoes and toppling hundreds of trees and powerlines. Nearly 150,000 customers were left without power by midnight.

The tornado threat, while less significant than Tuesday, isn't over. A tornado watch remains in effect for parts of southeastern Alabama, the Florida Panhandle and west-central Georgia until 8:00 a.m. ET.

Here's the latest:

• Tornado kills two: A married couple in their 80s died in Lake Village, Indiana, after a tornado hit the rural community around an hour south of Chicago, the Newton County, Indiana, coroner said. Several others were hospitalized. First responders said there was "total devastation" in the small community.

• Several tornadoes reported Tuesday: Over a dozen tornadoes have been reported from Tuesday's storms in three states: Texas, Illinois and Indiana. A long-lasting supercell spawned multiple tornadoes as it tracked across Illinois and Indiana, including one that ripped through Kankakee and Aroma Park, Illinois, causing damage to several homes and buildings there. This twister was preliminarily given an EF-3 rating by the National Weather Service in Central Illinois. Several people were injured, but no one died, Kankakee's mayor said.

• Monster hail: The storms also produced softball-sized or larger hail that crushed cars and caused damage in Illinois. One hailstone measured 6 inches in diameter, twice the size of a baseball, and may have set a new state record.

'Total devastation' in Indiana

Lake Village, a small town in northwest Indiana, was one of the places in the Midwest hit hardest by the tornado.

"Right before 7 p.m. (Tuesday), a large tornado hit our community, and it hit us hard," Lake Township Volunteer Fire Department spokesperson Lori Postma said.

When first responders made an early assessment overnight, they found "total devastation," fire department chief Rob Churchill said. "There were houses that were collapsed. There were people trapped in houses. There's livestock loose," he said.

The Newton County Coroner's Office on Wednesday said Edward L. Kozlowski, 89, and his wife, Arlene Kozlowski, 84, were killed as the powerful tornado tore through the area.

Coroners preliminarily determined the couple's cause of death to be "multiple blunt force trauma," and an autopsy has been scheduled for Friday.

The Kozlowskis were found by a relative in the yard behind their house, Arlene's sister toldCNN affiliate WLS.

"This is devastating," Christine Kwintera said, sharing that her sister and brother-in-law had lived there for decades and were enjoying a quiet life post-retirement.

"She was good to everyone, all the kids," Kwintera said, breaking down in tears as she described her sister. "She was a good person."

"They were wonderful, just really wonderful human beings," the couple's son-in-law Steve Rehfeldt toldCNN affiliate WBBM."You know, tough old guy and sweet old lady."

The Kozlowskis left behind four children, seven grandchildren and great-grandchildren, WBBM reported.

"[There is] a lot of damage. Please do not come here. Do not try to help," Newton County Sheriff Shannon Cothran said in avideo postfrom Lake Village late Tuesday night. Behind him, the tornado appeared to have reduced at least one home to rubble.

Fire department crews searched hundreds of homes in the dark and under dangerous conditions to look for survivors in the tornado's aftermath, Indiana State Police Sgt. Glen Fifield said.

One survivor, Steven Travis, toldWBBMhe was at home when the storm barrelled down his street. He said the ceiling started coming down as the roof over his bedroom was lifted off.

"I climbed into the closet, and that's where I came out and debris was everywhere," he said. "I mean, the place was destroyed."

At least 100 structures were damaged as of Wednesday's count, including 32 destroyed, Fifield said. Those numbers are expected to rise, as many more homes have been damaged, he added.

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Injuries and widespread damage were reported in other parts of Indiana and Illinois, according to officials.

Several houses and other structures were also damaged after a tornado hit Starke County, Indiana, but there were no injuries or deaths, according to Starke County Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy Wayne James. The county includes the town of Knox, where the National Weather Service issued a tornado emergency — the most urgent type of tornado warning.

First responders, state and local officials, and the American Red Cross were providing immediate support to communities, Indiana Gov. Mike Braun saidin a post on XWednesday morning. "Maureen and I are praying for the families who lost loved ones and for every Hoosier impacted by the devastating tornadoes," Braun said.

Drone video from Kankakee County, Illinois, showed buildings torn apart and debris scattered across neighborhoods after the tornado moved through. Emergency crews navigated the wreckage overnight with flashlights, stepping over splintered lumber and fallen trees as they searched damaged homes.

Nine people had minor injuries but there have been no deaths or people reported missing in the county, according to Kankakee County Chairman Matthew Alexander-Hildebrand. "While homes, buildings and infrastructure can be rebuilt — lives cannot be replaced," he said.

Jim Horchem saw the tornado as it approached his neighborhood in Kankakee County. "I thought, geez, that's a tornado. It's coming, it's coming, it's coming. And … everything goes into slow motion," Horchem told CorClips journalist Jonathan Petramala.

Horchem and his family hid from the tornado inside a bathtub. As he watched water seep under the bathroom door, Horchem thought his home was already torn open. "I really thought, 'This is it, we're going to die.'"

Brandy Peppin said she had only minutes of warning before the storm reached her house. Her brother called to say he could see the tornado heading straight toward her home.

"Thank God," Peppin told CNN. "And I ran, grabbed my dog who was already in the closet where we go down into the crawl space and literally pulled the door open. He fell into the crawl space, and I went down there and we rode the tornado out. It was so loud."

"There would be little 'bang bangs' and then big ones," she said. "You could just tell that there was debris hitting the house and hear things hitting the house — it was so loud."

TheKankakee County Sheriff's Officeactivated its Emergency Operations Center and filed an emergency declaration with Illinois.

"I want to remind area residents to check on their neighbors and loved ones but to avoid unnecessary travel, if at all possible," Sheriff Mike Downey said.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzkersaid he had been briefed on the storm damage and was monitoring the situation.

"Keeping in our thoughts all Illinoisans impacted by the severe weather – we'll be here to help them recover," he said.

Thursday's forecast

Storms are pushing east after intensifying late Wednesday from Texas to the Ohio Valley and Mid-Atlantic.

We could still see some isolated severe thunderstorms and tornadoes across the Southeast this morning through 8 a.m. ET, but relief from storms is on the way.

Aweather pattern changebegins to envelop the US Thursday, cooling down the east and limiting severe potential through the end of the week.

CNN Meteorologists Briana Waxman and CNN's Diego Mendoza and Karina Tsui contributed to this report.

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Tornado kills 2 in Indiana with another bout of dangerous storms ongoing

Dangerous storms with tornadoes and giant hail tore across the Central US overnight Tuesday into Wednesday, killing at le...

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Providence draws tough task of shutting down Zuby Ejiofor, No. 13 St. John's

Providence has at least one more game under Kim English. And that game could not feature a juicier opponent.

The ninth-seeded Friars rode a historic game from freshman Stefan Vaaks to a Big East tournament win over eighth-seeded Butler on Wednesday, setting up a second-round showdown with top-seeded St. John's on Thursday afternoon in New York.

Rick Pitino and 13th-ranked St. John's (25-6) went 18-2 in the league to take a second straight regular-season title. However, the Red Storm's first league loss came Jan. 3 at Madison Square Garden against Providence, which rallied from a 13-point hole to prevail 77-71 on Feb. 14.

The return game in Rhode Island got ugly. Duncan Powell fouled ex-Providence forward Bryce Hopkins hard when he went up for a layup, causing a fight and six ejections before St. John's won 79-69. Powell served a three-game suspension.

"I think (the fight) was all, truthfully, blown out of proportion, to tell you the truth," English said Wednesday. "Again, it was a hard foul, a couple guys got in each other's face, there was some pushes. I mean, I think it got completely blown out of proportion."

He repeatedly declared "there's no beef" between Providence and St. John's.

"We have a game in the greatest arena in the world," English said, "and it's one of the best coaches in the history of college basketball against the Big East Player of the Year (Zuby Ejiofor). It's a team, a program we have a lot of respect for. That's all it is. There's no beef between us and St. John's."

That doesn't even touch on Pitino putting his thumb on the scale of the Friars' coaching search from afar.

It was reported last week that Providence will part ways with English after this season, and a rogue report last month indicated that Pitino's son, Richard Pitino, would consider leaving his post at Xavier for the Providence job. The younger Pitino has since denied interest, and Rick Pitino -- who coached the Friars from 1985-87 -- also stated his son wouldn't be leaving Xavier.

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Providence looked like a lost cause Wednesday when it fell behind 15-2 to start the game, but Vaaks sparked the comeback and finished with career highs of 28 points and eight 3-pointers. He tied the Big East tournament record for threes in a game, while Ryan Mela added 23 points, nine rebounds and five assists and Jaylin Sellers went for 23, seven and four.

Vaaks scored 16 and 20 in the two games against St. John's, and Sellers had 15 and 13 before he was ejected from the latter matchup.

"No extra motivation," Sellers said. "They're on the list, so we got to take care of business to keep our season alive. Me personally, I learned from the situation, and now it's just time to be a leader and make sure that my guys are ready to play the next 40 (minutes)."

The focus will have to be on stopping Ejiofor, named the conference's Player of the Year on Wednesday. He posted 33 points and 15 rebounds in the first meeting with Providence but just 14 and four in the rematch. Ejiofor is averaging 16.0 points (54.6 FG%), 7.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.0 blocks this season.

Hopkins has added 13.3 points and 6.0 rebounds per contest in his first season at St. John's after three injury-ravaged years at Providence. He said at a team autograph signing earlier this week that he had a gut feeling the Red Storm would draw a third matchup with the Friars.

"I don't know what made me feel like that, but it was just a feeling I had that we were going to match up with them again ... so I mean, it is what it is," Hopkins said.

All this comes amid the backdrop of Madison Square Garden, the Red Storm's home away from campus that has attracted plenty of Providence supporters as well.

"I got my team together this morning talking about the Big East tournament, how spectacular it is," Pitino told Hoops HQ on Tuesday. "I said, 'Guys you're not going to fully appreciate this until you leave New York, but you guys just played 11 or 12 games as your home court in the World's Greatest Arena.'"

--Field Level Media

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Providence draws tough task of shutting down Zuby Ejiofor, No. 13 St. John's

Providence has at least one more game under Kim English. And that game could not feature a juicier opponent. ...

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