It’s the end of an era, and honestly, college football Saturdays will never be quite the same.
Lee Corso, who became the face of ESPN’s College GameDay, is officially retiring this August after nearly four decades on the show. He’s been there since 1987, helping turn GameDay into what the show is today.
Whether it was his catchphrase—“Not so fast, my friend!”—or the wild headgear picks that turned into unforgettable moments, Corso brought energy and unpredictability that couldn't be replicated by anyone else.
Is ESPN going to replace Lee Corso?
So now that he’s stepping away, the big question is: who’s going to replace him? The short answer? No one.
And that’s exactly how it should be.
According to everything we know right now, ESPN doesn’t have plans to bring in a new full-time panelist to “fill” Corso’s chair. Instead, they’re expected to continue with their current lineup—Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard, Pat McAfee, and host Rece Davis. It’ll be the same team, just without the legend sitting at the end of the desk.
Why? Because you simply can’t replace Lee Corso. You can’t mimic what he did. No one else could pull off putting on a giant mascot head the same way. Corso made that segment his own and it was the highlight of College GameDay each week.
And let’s be real: whoever tried to follow in those footsteps would be set up for failure. The comparisons would be instant, and honestly, unfair.
There might be tribute segments, maybe more guest appearances or creative tweaks to the format down the line. But that iconic headgear moment? It’ll retire right alongside Coach Corso.
So when the 2025 season kicks off and Corso makes that final headgear pick on August 30, it’s going to be emotional. And after that, College GameDay will move forward in a different way, but it won't involve a replacement.
It will be interesting, in my opinion, to see if College GameDay can do anything to "spice up" the picks segment with Corso gone.
Pat McAfee has attempted to add his unique flair to the broadcast and we'd expect him to get more freedom without Corso, but now that it's going to be a full-time gig without Corso ever joining the hosts, there may be some different creative decisions made to cap the show each Saturday.