For college football fans, fall Saturday mornings haven’t truly started until Lee Corso has thrown on a mascot head and delivered his iconic “Not so fast, my friend!”
For nearly four decades, Corso has been the face of College GameDay, but now, the show is preparing to say goodbye to the man who helped turn it into must-watch television.
Lee Corso is officially stepping away from College GameDay this August, confirmed by ESPN. His final appearance is set for August 30, 2025, marking the end of an era that began all the way back in 1987.
ESPN confirmed the news with a tribute that has already started stirring up strong emotions from fans who grew up with Corso on their screens. Whether it was watching him hold a baby gator while picking Florida, dressing up as Benjamin Franklin, or riding in on a motorcycle with the Oregon Duck, Corso’s creativity and passion always stole the show.
quick reflections and tribute to a dear friend and living legend, with word now official that #leecorso is retiring from @CollegeGameDay after one huge send off!
— Chris Fowler (@cbfowler) April 17, 2025
much more to come. Love you, LC! pic.twitter.com/V2Q15Qi795
One last show 👏
— ESPN (@espn) April 17, 2025
Lee Corso will make his final College GameDay headgear pick on August 30th. pic.twitter.com/MKBuFOtVOw
Lee Corso retiring makes a lot of us nostalgic and sad.
— Steve Podsedly (@StevePodsedly) April 17, 2025
I’ll share my favorite Lee Corso quote that I still use in his exact cadence to this very day pic.twitter.com/bHRem3SAm0
He’s turning 90 this year, and as much as people want him to keep going, it’s hard to argue that he hasn’t earned a relaxing retirement. Corso shared that he and his family will be “forever indebted” to ESPN and GameDay for giving him nearly 40 years of memories and friendships.
And while the headgear segment is what fans will always associate with Corso, there was so much more to his impact. He spent 28 years in coaching, including head coaching stints at Indiana, Louisville, and Northern Illinois. He was also a standout player at Florida State, once holding the school record for most career interceptions and earning the nickname “Sunshine Scooter.”
Corso’s unique charisma helped him bridge the gap between the X’s and O’s of football and the entertainment fans crave. He found his own niche and made it work in a way that no one else could. You never quite knew what he was going to do or say, and that unpredictability is part of what made him so special.
Kirk Herbstreit, who has worked alongside Corso since 1996, called him a second father and said it’s been an “absolute honor” to watch Corso don those mascot heads every week. Host Rece Davis described him as a coach through and through—someone who celebrates people’s successes and constantly checks in on his colleagues with genuine care.
Even in recent years, after suffering a stroke in 2009 that briefly affected his speech, Corso’s commitment to the show stayed strong. He adapted. ESPN supported him. And through it all, he kept showing up, week after week, proving his love for the game and its fans ran deep.
So, yeah—this one hurts. It’s not just the end of a segment or a cast change. It’s saying goodbye to a Saturday tradition that’s been there for almost 40 years. Fans across the country are already expressing sadness, gratitude, and nostalgia over the news. And rightfully so.