The college football world got some emotional news on Thursday with the announcement that Lee Corso is officially set to retire from College GameDay this August.
After nearly 40 years with the show, the 89-year-old icon will make his final mascot headgear pick during Week 1 of the 2025 college football season. It’ll mark the end of an unforgettable run that helped turn GameDay into what it is today.
Corso has become synonymous with Saturday mornings in the fall. From shouting “Not so fast, my friend!” to riding in on motorcycles and holding baby alligators, he’s done it all.
But now, fans are already looking ahead to his farewell—and one big question looms: where will College GameDay broadcast from when Corso signs off for the last time?
We know exactly where Lee Corso will be for his retirement show
ESPN hasn’t officially announced it yet, but if you’ve been following college football for any length of time, you can connect the dots. All signs are pointing to Columbus, Ohio.
The game? Texas at Ohio State.
It’s arguably the biggest matchup of the opening weekend and very possibly the biggest regular-season game of the entire year. There’s a decent chance the Longhorns and Buckeyes are ranked No. 1 and No. 2 to start the season, which means GameDay won’t be the only major pregame show on-site. FOX is expected to feature it as their Big Noon Kickoff game. But if you think that’ll scare off ESPN, think again.
This is Lee Corso’s farewell. And there’s no way they’re not sending the crew to the site of what could be a season-defining showdown.
There’s also a poetic element to it. Corso’s first-ever headgear pick happened in Columbus back in 1995—and he picked Brutus Buckeye. That decision kicked off a tradition that’s lasted for 30 years. What better way to wrap up his legendary career than by returning to the place where it all started and putting on that Brutus head one last time?
Sure, there are other games that weekend. LSU at Clemson is a major one, especially since it’ll be on ESPN’s family of networks and features two blueblood programs. From a business standpoint, that would make sense for College GameDay. Clemson’s Death Valley is also one of the best environments in college football, and if you’re looking at things purely from a broadcast partnership angle, Clemson vs. LSU would be the network’s top game of the day.
But this isn’t just any broadcast. This is Lee Corso’s grand finale.
That’s why, in my opinion, there’s no debate. GameDay will be in Columbus.
It’s the perfect full-circle moment. A No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup. A national stage. And the chance for Lee Corso to give fans one final headgear pick in the same spot where it all began.
So no, it may not be official. But if you ask me? Lee Corso’s retirement show is heading to the Horseshoe. And that last “headgear pick” moment is going to be one for the ages.