DICK VITALE TO SPEAK AT TIP-OFF LUNCHEON OCT. 12

Sports analyst Dick Vitale, known for his enthusiastic and colorful style of commentary, will speak at the Big Blue Club Basketball Tip-Off Luncheon Friday, Oct. 12. Coupled with the annual Monarch Madness that evening, the luncheon will kick off the 2001-02 basketball season.

The luncheon will be held at noon in the Field House and is presented by the Old Dominion Monarchs and the Lady Monarchs booster organizations. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for students.

Monarch Madness, which will be held from 8-10 p.m. at the Field House, will feature carnival games, food and beverages, and the opportunity to meet the 2001-02 Monarch and Lady Monarch basketball teams. A donation of $1, to benefit Coaches vs. Cancer, is suggested. A fireworks display will immediately follow on the campus.

Both events are part of a weeklong slate of activites marking the inauguration of Old Dominion University's seventh president, Roseann Runte, on Thursday, Oct. 11.

One of the most popular and highly respected sportscasters in history, Dick Vitale has served as an analyst for ESPN since 1979 and ABC since 1990. He is seen on "Dick Vitale's Fast Break" during the basketball season, publishes the annual Dick Vitale's College Basketball Magazine and is the best-selling author of "Vitale: Time Out, Baby!", "Holding Court" and "Campus Chaos: Why the Game I Love Is Breaking My Heart."

Vitale has been inducted into several halls of fame. He has received two ACE awards for cable broadcasting, along with the prestigious Naismith Award for contributions to the sport of basketball, the Ronald Reagan Media Award and the Basketball Hall of Fame's Curt Gowdy Award.

For more information or to purchase tickets, call the athletic ticket office at 683-4444.