Someone else will have to wear college mascot head gear on fall Saturday mornings for “College GameDay” or not at all.
Longtime ESPN college football analyst Lee Corso will retire from appearing on “College GameDay,” the network announced on Thursday. Corso, 89, has been with the show that started in 1987 and has become widely popular before the kickoff of college football Saturdays in the fall.
Corso will appear on one more show for Aug. 30 when the college football season kicks off. He has been appearing less on “College GameDay” in recent years since a stroke in 2009.
“ESPN has been exceptionally generous to me, especially these past few years,” Corso said. “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,” Corso added. “ESPN gave me this wonderful opportunity and provided me the support to ensure success. I am genuinely grateful.”
Herbstreit, who played quarterback at Ohio State, joined the show in 1995. He called it “an absolute honor” to work with Corso over the years.
“Coach Corso has had an iconic run in broadcasting, and we’re all lucky to have been around to witness it. He has taught me so much throughout our time together, and he’s been like a second father to me,” said Herbstreit, who has worked alongside Corso for 29 seasons on College GameDay. “It has been my absolute honor to have the best seat in the house to watch Coach put on that mascot head each week.”
The show appears at various FBS college campuses on Saturdays ahead of premiere matchups, and droves of fans show up and add to the atmosphere. Corso would don the mascot head of the team he picked to win the game.
He first did it in 1995 before an Ohio State game, and he’s picked and worn mascot heads from coast to coast, whether a Florida Gator or Oregon Duck. Corso has also dressed up as mascots, which include the Notre Dame leprechaun and the Stanford tree. He’s also worked with live animal mascots on the show from a baby alligator to a full grown bison later named Corso.
“Lee is the quintessential entertainer but he was also a remarkable coach who established lifelong connections with his players,” fellow host Rece Davis said in a statement. “When GameDay went to Indiana last season, the love and emotion that poured out from his players was truly moving.
“It was also unsurprising. Every week, Lee asks about our families. He asks for specifics. He celebrates success and moments, big and small, with all of us on the set. He’s relentless in his encouragement. That’s what a great coach, and friend, does. Lee has made it his life’s work to bring joy to others on the field and on television. He succeeded.”
Corso’s charisma has helped “College GameDay” win awards, too. The show has garnered nine Emmy awards and it’s up for another nomination this year.
“Lee Corso has developed a special connection to generations of fans through his entertaining style and iconic headgear picks,” ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro said in a statement. “Lee is one of the most influential and beloved figures in the history of college football and our ESPN team will celebrate his legendary career during his final College GameDay appearance this August.”
Before “College GameDay,” Corso coached in both college and the pros for 28 years after his collegiate playing career at Florida State. He had a 73-85-6 record between his stints at Louisville, Indiana, and Northern Illinois plus 5-13 mark in the USFL.
“Lee has been an indelible force in the growth of college football’s popularity,” former “GameDay” host Chris Fowler said in a statement. “He’s a born entertainer and singular television talent. But at his heart he'll always be a coach, with an abiding love and respect for the game and the people who play it.”
Away from football, Corso has four children with his wife, Betsy, and 10 grandchildren.
