ESPN’s “College Gemedae” era ended on Saturday as well as renowned college football coach and football analyst Lee Corso resigned from the show 38 years later.
Corso, who turned 90 on August 7th, is known for his insightful analysis, stunts and fork commentary on college football and its dynamics. He wore a tuxedo for his final show, when the Texas Longhorns, who appeared in the Buckeyes in Ohio, was born from Ohio Stadium in Columbus.
Corso is the last of “College Gameday’s,” a founding on-air team to sign off. The program debuted in 1987 and became part of the fabric of the college football season as commentators traveled from city to city to cover key games and rivalry. Corso plays a key role in predicting the winner of the game, choosing team headgear at the end of the three-hour television broadcast. The ritual was that Corso was wearing a hat and a big head mascot to show that his pick began at the Ohio State game in 1996.
For Corso, the headgear stunt that came to define “College Gameday” ended when it began. The coach selected Ohio State as the predicted winner. ESPN instantly made a big fanfare with pre-recorded segments narrated by Herbstreit. After performing the national anthem, the Ohio marching band moved to a field formation that spelled “Corso.”
Corso didn’t hesitate when the moment of decision came. “This is one of the Eastist picks I’ve ever made. Gimme my first love,” Corso said it was placed on his head as the big head of Ohio’s famous Brutus mascot. Early in the show, the host dug into an 85-pound cake made in the form of Brutus.
According to ESPN, Corso’s record is 286-144 throughout the 2024 season, wearing headgear from 69 different teams. Saturday’s decision will be 431st in College Game Day.
At the start of the show, Corso expressed his “deep thank you to everyone who took part in the journey.” Usually, among the crowds of fans surrounding the show’s half circle desk set, many fans kept a large sign paying tagline of his signature, such as “Not My Friend” in tribute to Corso.
Ohio State coach Ryan Day brought in a special Buckeyes helmet as a gift to Corso, featuring each of the 45 emblems that Corso chose the Buckeyes.
According to ESPN, Corso also “gets a baby crocodile that once lived” and chose Florida, Florida’s alma mater. In Saturday’s cries, one fan had a homemade sign comparing Corso’s affinity for Ohio State and newly engaged superstars Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. With 45 picks, Ohio ranks Corso’s most picked team as a whole, followed by Alabama (38), LSU (25), Florida (22) and Oregon (21).
The program also paid pre-recorded tribute to well-known coaches of gridiron celebrity figures, including Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen and stars Matthew McConaughey and Will Ferrell.
Corso made bold predictions in the opening minutes of his final show, choosing Louisiana’s LSU as the ultimate champion of the 2025 college football season.
Corso spent 28 years as a college football coach before enrolling in television full-time. He spent 17 seasons as head coach for Indiana, Louisville and Northern Illinois. He gained fame after starting to appear in local TV sports programs in Indiana and Louisville.
“I was lucky to be sitting next to a great entertainer in the history of sports television,” Herbstrate said of his longtime ESPN colleague in the recorded segment. Later on the live programme, Herbstrate compared Corso to “Don Corleone or Yoda” because of his enthusiastic ability to listen and provide the advice of the wise man.
Corso respected his move to recruit Daryl Hill, the first black player, to play at the University of Maryland in 1962. “For what you did, I’m right,” Howard, a fellow NFL player analyst, told Corso on a live program.
When Herb Strait asked if there was a final message to the fans, Corso simply said “thank you.”
As the show ended following Corso’s final pick, the camera panned out and showed a sea of fans upsetting the “College Gameridae” set before kickoff.
