It’s the end of an era for ESPN‘s “College Game Day” on Saturday as Lee Corso, the renowned college football coach and football analyst, bows out of the show after 38 years.
Corso is known for his sharp analysis and folksy commentary on college football and its dynamics. He donned a tuxedo for his final show, which originated from Ohio Stadium in advance of the Texas Longhorns taking on the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Corso is the last of “College Game Day’s” founding on-air team to sign off. The program debuted in 1987 and has become part of the fabric of college football season as the commentators travel from city to city to cover key games and rivalries. Corso plays a key role in predicting the winner of the game with his choice of team headgear at the close of the three-hour telecast. According to ESPN, Corso’s record through the 2024 season is 286-144 and he has worn the headgear of 69 different teams. Saturday’s decision will be his 431st for “College Game Day.”
At the start of the show, Corso expressed his “deep thanks for everyone who’s been part of the journey” to host Rece Davis and fellow analysts Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard, Pat McAfee and Nick Saban. In the crowd of fans that typically surrounds the show’s half-circle desk set, numerous fans held big signs paying tribute to Corso and his signature taglines such as “Not so fast my friend.”
Ohio State coach Ryan Day brought a special Buckeyes helmet as a gift for Corso with an embled for each of the dozens of times that Corso selected the Buckeyes to win. The program also features pre-recorded tributes to the famed coach from gridiron notables such as Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen.
Corso made a bold prediction in the opening minutes of his final show, chosing Louisiana’s LSU as the ultimate champion of the 2025 college football season.
Corso spent 28 years as a football coach before segueing full time into TV. He spent 17 seasons as a head coach for Indiana, Louisville and Northern Illinois. He gained fame after he began hosting local TV sports programs in Indiana and Louisville.
“How lucky was I to sit next to the greatest entertainer in the history of sports television,” Herbstreit said of his longtime ESPN colleague in a recorded segment.
More to come
