One of the icons of ESPN’s popular College GameDay show is hanging up the headgear.
Lee Corso, who has been with the show since its beginning in 1987, announced Wednesday that his final appearance on the show will be during Week 1 of the 2025 college football season. Famous for donning headgear to make his pick for the game of the week set on location, Corso first started that tradition by pulling the Ohio State mascot head of Brutus on during a show on October 5, 1996, a game OSU won over Penn State in the ‘Shoe, 38-7.
ESPN does not announce the show’s location until after the schedule of games every week, but will typically announce plans for Week 1 as things get closer to the season. This year, Week 1 is set for August 30, and there’s a good chance he might go out the way he came in, in Columbus for that game between Ohio State and Texas. But … we’ll have to see. It would be poetic.
Corso released a statement of gratitude as he approaches 90 years old this year.
“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 said in a statement. “ESPN has been exceptionally generous to me, especially these past few years. They accommodated me and supported me, as did my colleagues in the early days of College GameDay. Special thanks to Kirk Herbstreit for his friendship and encouragement. And lest I forget, the fans … truly a blessing to share this with them. ESPN gave me this wonderful opportunity and provided me the support to ensure success. I am genuinely grateful.”
All told, Corso has put the OSU headgear on 45 times, more than any other program. We’re going to go out on a limb and say that it’ll be 46 on August 30 on the banks of the Olentangy.
Thanks for being a part of a lot of college football fan memories.
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