Lee Corso has been a staple in millions of households every Saturday of every college football season since the inception of ESPN’s College GameDay in 1987.
Corso has essentially given his life to the sport of college football, famously playing at Florida State from 1953 to 1957 before embarking on a 27-year coaching career that would ultimately end after the USFL ceased operations ahead of the 1986 season.
From there, Corso made the move from coaching on the sidelines to starring on College GameDay, where he has had countless iconic moments over the years.
Earlier this month, Corso announced that his final show would come on August 30, which triggered countless messages of support from members of the college football media.
While his final show doesn’t yet have a set location, it will undoubtedly be a special day honoring one of the most important people in the history of college football television.
Ahead of the highly anticipated show, College GameDay host Rece Davis shared his thoughts on Corso’s legendary career, calling him the “cornerstone of College GameDay” who was always able to let his personality shine through.
“Lee Corso is not only the cornerstone of College GameDay,” said Davis in a video posted on the ESPN PR account on X, “he was really a trailblazer for the way the sport was covered. It was okay to have a laugh, it was okay to poke a little fun. It was okay to show your personality. And what Lee did really set the trend for the generations that have followed and continue to follow in covering college football. In a sport that’s really built on nostalgia and tradition. There’s no greater, more iconic moment in the sport, in my judgment, than when LC puts on that mascot head on Saturday.
“It’s as if kickoffs aren’t really official until LC has made his pick. In fact, when you walk around campus on a Friday before College GameDay, that’s the number one question. Who’s Corso going to pick? It’s because of something he’s taught us from the very beginning. It’s entertainment, sweetheart. Football is our vehicle. And, man, did he use that vehicle brilliantly.
“You know, I think about the great connections that Lee has made. Because before he was a transcendent television figure, he was an extraordinary coach. And if the mark of a coach is really the relationships that you build and develop during your time at a particular place, never was that success more evident than when College GameDay went to Indiana last year. A number of LC’s players came back just for a luncheon, just to spend some time around him, just to remind him just how much he had meant in their life.”
Last week, legendary ESPN broadcaster Lee Corso announced his upcoming retirement & final @CollegeGameDay show
GameDay host @ReceDavis reflects on his friendship & working alongside Corso the past 10 years
More: https://t.co/B1Xdfav6vA pic.twitter.com/LLSsTzOqsq
— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) April 21, 2025
On top of the kind of impact Corso had on those he has coached and fans watching at home across the country, Davis spoke directly to the kind of impact that Corso had on his own broadcasting career, detailing how Corso immediately embraced him when he joined the show in 2015.
“He was not only the consummate entertainer, he was the consummate coach,” said Davis. “He sort of made it his life’s work to make sure that people succeeded on the field, had joy on the field, and brought joy to them in their living rooms and through the television sets on Saturday mornings. And he certainly succeeded on both counts. I’ll never be able to repay him for the way he treated me when I came to College GameDay. He embraced me as a new quarterback.
“There was not a hint of standoffishness or resentment. But I think the memories that I will cherish most about working with LC will have a lot less to do with the three hours on the air and a lot more to do with those Saturday afternoons and nights that we spend after the show. No assignment, no television to do, just there to see the game. Because he loved it, because it was part of him. The one that leaps to mind. 2016, classic game between Louisville and Clemson.
“Lamar Jackson, Deshaun Watson. Clemson went on to win the National Championship that year. And LC, because of that connection, that deep-rooted connection and love that he had for Louisville from when he was the head coach there. He was stalking that sideline. At times, it was almost as if he were out there with Bobby Petrino helping him call plays, and it was just an absolute joyful thing to see.”
While replacing Corso on College GameDay will obviously be an impossible task for ESPN, the show will, of course, go on without Corso. And in Davis’ eyes, he believes that everyone on College GameDay will take a valuable lesson away from his departure by prioritizing authenticity and passion over a need to be perfect.
“Certainly, his love for the sport runs deep. His impact on the game and television’s coverage of the game is similarly immeasurable. He’s part of the DNA of College GameDay. He is a wonderful friend, a trusted mentor, and I think it’s really easy to say that the show won’t be the same without him. But if I could borrow a phrase, not so fast, my friend.
“The things that he’s taught us, the impact that he’s had, the lessons that he has given, will endure from now on for College GameDay. Every week he would tell us, ‘This show is against perfection.’ Against perfection was the standard. And few have succeeded in their relationships, in their team building, in their television career, in their life as a family man…few have succeeded against perfection like the great Lee Corso. And all I can really say to him is, thanks, LC, you’re the best.”
Considering the fact that College GameDay had its most-watched regular season ever this past season, Davis appears to be spot on about the lessons the cast had learned from Corso over the years. Though it is hard to argue that the show will truly ever be the same once Corso signs off with his signature headgear pick one final time.