All good things must come to an end. Announced just moments ago, 89 year old Lee Corso will be stepping down from his analyst and mascot-head wearing role on College GameDay. Corso said earlier, “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.”
Corso has spent decades as a cornerstone of the College GameDay crew, and was a staple in the college football community. Corso was maybe most known for donning the headgear of the mascot whose team he believed would win the game GameDay was attending, becoming a tradition 430 weeks (Corso went 286-144 in his picks, pretty good). This tradition started in 1995 at an Ohio State games and has been the highlight of College GameDay since. In the headgear spirit, we also saw Corso dress up as a leprechaun when he picked the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to win one week.
One of his closest coworkers and friends, Kirk Herbstreit, had this to say about Corso, “I thank you for so many lessons you taught me. Almost 30 years together, I have enjoyed sitting next to you, watching you do your thing, so much fun. This is a celebration for everything that you did for the sport, for College GameDay, you’re an icon,” Herbstreit added. “You’re a once-in-a-lifetime person, once-in-a-lifetime broadcaster.”
Corso has worked on the GameDay crew since 1987, and will sit at the desk one final time in Week 1 of the season in August, and the location is believed to be at the Alabama vs. Florida State game since Corso is a former Seminole.
“Lee has been an indelible force in the growth of college football’s popularity,” said Chris Fowler, who hosted “GameDay” for 25 years. “He’s a born entertainer and singular television talent. But at his heart he’ll always be a coach, with an abiding love and respect for the game and the people who play it.”
Corso spent 28 years as a college and pro football coach, including 15 years as a collegiate head coach at Louisville, Indiana and Northern Illinois. He played college football at Florida State, where he was known as the “Sunshine Scooter.” He held the school record for career interceptions for two decades after he graduated and also played quarterback for the Seminoles.
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