ESPN has a Brutus Buckeye-sized decision on its hands.
With Lee Corso’s upcoming retirement from College GameDay, ESPN will have to come to a resolution regarding one of the show’s most beloved traditions, the iconic headgear pick. The question now is: Who will take over the legendary headgear pick? Or will it even be replaced at all?
ESPN has teased that it has something in mind, but it’s holding off on any details until closer to the 2025 season. So, for now, we’re left to guess what they’ll do with a segment that’s been almost as much a staple of GameDay as Corso himself.
Kirk Herbstreit has already made it clear he doesn’t want anyone else to take over Corso’s tradition. He told The Athletic’s David Ubben as much in 2022.
“I’ve thought long and hard about the headgear. I feel like that’s a Lee Corso thing. And I think, depending on who you talk to, you might get varying opinions. I’ve sat next to him. This will be my 27th year, and I can’t imagine when Lee decides to step down, another person putting on the headgear,” Herbstreit said. “I most definitely will not ever put on a headgear. Whoever that person is, I can’t imagine them feeling comfortable being asked to put on a headgear.”
We’ll rule out the possibility of Desmond Howard or Nick Saban picking up the tradition, as both options seem extremely unlikely.
Rece Davis made his thoughts known on CNN last night.
So, naturally, all eyes have turned to Pat McAfee.
His high-energy segments and his way of getting the crowd fired up have become must-watch TV, but could he really take over the headgear pick?
As Awful Announcing’s Ben Koo astutely pointed out back in November 2023, with Corso missing multiple appearances the last few years, McAfee’s bombastic, wrestling promo-style final pick has become the show’s unofficial closing moment. And honestly, it’s worked. The crowd usually erupts — helped by the fact that McAfee almost always picks the home team — and his pick often turns into the show’s most viral clip.
So, while McAfee closing the show seems extremely likely, given how he’s fared in the role in Corso’s absence, would he add the popular headgear tradition as part of his closing act?
While it does make some sense to let him have fun with it, McAfee’s whole vibe is very different from Corso’s.
Corso’s headgear picks were all about fun, humor, and making a light moment out of something that had become a tradition. McAfee, on the other hand, brings more WWE-style theatrics to the table. His picks are bombastic and over-the-top. The contrast in energy is pretty stark, and trying to fit a Corso-style headgear moment into McAfee’s high-octane routine might feel forced and, given how much the audience seems to react to McAfee’s rousing final pick, might not be needed.
Additionally, McAfee’s contract with College GameDay is separate from his television show and has been negotiated through one-off, year-to-year deals so far. With that uncertainty, it’s hard to see ESPN handing him the full reins of such an important segment.
ESPN’s decision isn’t easy. The Worldwide Leader has a lot to think about as it tries to balance honoring Corso’s legacy while keeping GameDay fresh. Whatever they decide, it’ll be interesting to see how they handle the transition and whether they’ll keep the headgear pick alive in some form.
More details about GameDay’s 2025 season, including how they’ll tackle Corso’s retirement, are expected to be announced closer to the start of the season.