ESPN College GameDay legend Lee Corso is set to retire this fall, the company announced on Thursday morning.
Corso’s final show will be set for Week 1 of the college football season on Aug. 30, 2025, where he will don his final mascot headgear piece.
“After entertaining fans for 38 college football seasons, ESPN broadcaster Lee Corso will put on one more mascot headgear,” ESPN PR announced on X. “The legendary analyst’s final College GameDay show will be Week 1 of the 2025 CFB season on Saturday, Aug. 30.”
After 38 incredible years, Lee Corso is retiring ❤️
For multiple generations, Coach has been the face of our Saturday mornings and the sport we love.
Our friend, our coach, our heart … LC, you will forever be a College GameDay legend! pic.twitter.com/AjK8iNw7ye
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) April 17, 2025
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Corso has made more than 400 headgear picks across his GameDay tenure with Ohio State, Alabama, and LSU leading the way in terms of the teams most-often picked.
Corso hasn’t been afraid to throw on the Smokey head, though. The most recent pick came during the 2024 season when Corso picked Tennessee to defeat Oklahoma in Norman, which they did.
Lee Corso makes his Tennessee-Oklahoma headgear pick to close out College GameDay in Norman. 🏈📺🎙️ pic.twitter.com/QqLxSdFCBn
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 21, 2024
Tennessee was also quickly featured in ESPN’s “Not So Fast, My Friend” video compilation when WWE Superstar Bianca Belair was the guest picker in Knoxville.
“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 via an ESPN press release. “I have a treasure of many friends, fond memories and some unusual experiences to take with me into retirement.”
Corso began his tenure with ESPN in 1987 following a 28-year coaching career at the college and professional levels. While with ESPN, College GameDay has taken home nine Sports Emmy awards in the Most Outstanding Studio Show – Weekly category.
