Lee Corso’s Spirit Will Be Missed On ‘College GameDay’

Lee Corso recently announced that he will walk away from ESPN’s “College GameDay” after nearly 40 years. The former coach and longtime broadcaster has been recognized for his famous headgear picks and unique expressions on Saturdays. His final broadcast will be August 30, Week 1 of the 2025 season. ESPN announced plans to celebrate Corso, who has been with the show since it began in 1987. 

Corso said, “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.” College football fans will surely miss him. 

Tributes

After the announcement was made public, many tributes were posted on social media. That included one from longtime broadcast partner Kirk Herbstreit. In a video posted, he said, “Almost 30 years together. I have enjoyed sitting next to you, watching you do your thing. So much fun and so many great moments on the show and off the show. This is a celebration for everything you did. You’re an icon and once in a lifetime person. It has been a special time for all of us. You’ve earned this retirement.”

Corso is the only member of the original “College GameDay” crew still with the program. The show has won several Emmy Awards. Although he has taken more breaks and has not been on the road as often, he was still able to be at last year’s National Championship Game in Atlanta. He will be 90 years old for his final show. 

Career

Before joining ESPN, Corso coached the game he loves for 28 years. His first job was at his alma mater, Florida State, where he played quarterback and defensive back from 1953-57. He served as a graduate assistant in 1958. He then was an assistant coach at Maryland and Navy before getting his first head coaching job at Louisville. After Louisville, he went on to Indiana and then Northern Illinois. In 1985, Corso coached the Orlando Renegades of the USFL. 

He joined ESPN’s “College GameDay” in 1987. For the last 38 years, fans have looked forward to his headgear picks every week and his famous “Not so fast, my friend” phrase. You can’t claim to be a college football fan if you have not watched Corso in action. He has shared his knowledge and love of the game with all of us and has formed an everlasting bond with fans everywhere. The popular headgear segment made its debut at Ohio State in Week 7 of the 1996 college football season. His record with these picks is 286-144. 

What Will We Remember?

“College GameDay” won’t be the same without Corso at the desk. His famous picks included mascot heads and helmets most of the time. But we will always remember him dressing up as James Madison, Benjamin Franklin, Stanford’s tree, and Notre Dame’s leprechaun. 

His jokes, expressions, and undeniable love of the game will all be missed. No matter who takes his seat at the desk, there is only one Coach Corso. We will all be looking forward to hearing “Not so fast, my friend’ one last time.