The end of an era.
The legendary Lee Corso has been the face of ESPN’s College GameDay for longer than I’ve been alive. The former coach was hired as an analyst for GameDay back in 1987, and for 38 years has been known for his iconic headgear predictions and keeping his other co-hosts in line with his iconic catchphrase, “Not so fast my friend.” (Oh, and that #2 pencil he’s always holding? Corso spends his offseason as Director of Business Development for Dixon Ticonderoga pencil company).
But Corso suffered a stroke back in 2009, and in recent years fans have been increasingly saddened as it’s become clear that it was getting close to time for the legendary broadcaster to hang up the headgear.
Of course we didn’t really know when that time would come, but this morning ESPN confirmed that Corso would be retiring from College GameDay after week 1 of the 2025 college football season.
Corso released a statement through ESPN on his retirement:
“My family and I will be forever indebted for the opportunity to be part of ESPN and College GameDay for nearly 40 years. I have a treasure of many friends, fond memories and some unusual experiences to take with me into retirement…
ESPN has been exceptionally generous to me, especially these past few years. They accommodated me and supported me, as did my colleagues in the early days of College GameDay. Special thanks to Kirk Herbstreit for his friendship and encouragement. And lest I forget, the fans … truly a blessing to share this with them. ESPN gave me this wonderful opportunity and provided me the support to ensure success. I am genuinely grateful.”
The show has undergone some big lineup changes in recent years, adding the legendary Nick Saban as well as popular ESPN personality and podcast host Pat McAfee to the cast that features Kirk Herbstreit, Rece Davis and Desmond Howard. But since the show’s inception, Corso has been the only constant on the panel – but that will come to an end on August 30.
After it was announced that Corso would be retiring from the iconic role, tributes began to pour in from all corners of the sports world.
Herbstreit, who has served the longest alongside Corso on the College GameDay panel and in recent years has served as a protector and helper of sorts for Corso, released an emotional video to his colleague thanking him for their “special bond.”
And colleagues, players and fans all lined up to thank Corso for his time on College GameDay and pay tribute to the living legend:
And fans also began sharing some of their favorite Lee Corso moments from over his long career. While (naturally) many of them involved Corso selecting their favorite team, there were also some pretty iconic moments – like him calling this little kid a “midget.”
Or his famous “Ah, f**k it” moment live on air:
Or Corso shooting a shotgun while wearing the Pistol Pete headgear at Oklahoma State:
ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro promised that Corso’s final College GameDay would be a celebration of the iconic broadcaster’s legacy:
“Lee Corso has developed a special connection to generations of fans through his entertaining style and iconic headgear picks. Lee is one of the most influential and beloved figures in the history of college football and our ESPN team will celebrate his legendary career during his final College GameDay appearance this August.”
Honestly after 38 years there are just too many iconic Corso moments to count, and College GameDay obviously won’t be the same without him. I know he’s been in rough shape for a while, and it’s definitely the right decision for him to hang it up, but still…the man has been part of my Saturday morning routine for pretty much as long as I can remember.
College football Saturdays definitely won’t be the same without him, but hopefully he’s able to enjoy some well-deserved relaxation in his retirement.
