Lee Corso to retire from ESPN's 'College GameDay' after 38 seasons

Lee Corso’s nearly four-decade run on ESPN’s “College GameDay” is coming to an end.
Lee Corso’s nearly four-decade run on ESPN’s “College GameDay” is coming to an end.
Corso, the longtime ESPN broadcaster and folksy former coach widely known for his endearing expressions and elaborate headgear picks, is set to retire after a career with the show that began in 1987, ESPN announced Thursday. His final broadcast will be Aug. 30 — Week 1 of the 2025 college football season — and the network said additional programming to celebrate Corso is also planned.
“My family and I will be forever indebted for the opportunity to be part of ESPN and ‘College GameDay’ for nearly 40 years,” Corso said in a statement to ESPN. “I have a treasure of many friends, fond memories and some unusual experiences to take with me into retirement.”
Corso, who turns 90 in August, began his popular headgear segment in October 1995 at a game at Ohio State. Since then, he has gone 286-144 in 430 selections wearing everything from helmets and mascot heads to dressing up as the Fighting Irish leprechaun from Notre Dame, the Stanford tree and historic figures James Madison and Benjamin Franklin.
“Not so fast, my friend” is one of his most well-known comments and his good humor alongside Kirk Herbstreit, Rece Davis and Desmond Howard and many others going back more than three decades helped make Corso and the show a beloved staple for millions on college football Saturdays.
Rating: 5