Tag: Lee Corso

Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day presents Lee Corso with a helmet beside Kirk Herbstreit on the set of ESPN College GameDay prior to the NCAA football game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Texas Longhorns at Ohio Stadium on Aug. 30, 2025.

Lee Corso’s farewell drives record ‘College GameDay’ ratings

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Lee Corso’s farewell to “College GameDay” was the most-watched episode of the ESPN Saturday morning staple in its nearly 40-year history.

ESPN averaged 3.5 million viewers during the show on Saturday, preliminary Nielsen ratings show. It was broadcast from Columbus, Ohio, before the season opener between No. 1 Texas and No. 3 Ohio State. The Buckeyes won 14-7.

The show also aired on ESPNU.

ESPN reported that the ratings for the final 15 minutes of the show reached a record 5.1 million viewers. That’s the section of the show during which Corso famously made his prediction — who would win the game to be played in the city from which “GameDay” was airing — by putting on headgear representing his predicted victor.

His final headgear choice was the first as the same one when the tradition began in 1996: the Buckeyes. For the record, it was the 46th time he put on the Ohio State mascot head, and the Buckeyes were 32-14.

Corso, 90, spent 15 seasons as a college head coach at Louisville, Indiana and Northern Illinois before joining “College GameDay” in its first season in 1987.

The show heads to Norman, Okla., ahead of the game between Michigan and Oklahoma, on Saturday for its first episode without Corso as a member of the team.

–Field Level Media

Former Indiana coach Lee Corso picks the Ohio State Buckeyes for the win over his former Hoosiers on ESPN's College Game Day before Thursday's NCAA Division I football game at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Ind., on August 31, 2017.

Lee Corso’s final ‘College Gameday’ to be at Texas-Ohio State

Posted on | by Field Level Media

ESPN announced that it’s long-running “College GameDay” will take its show to Columbus, Ohio for commentator Lee Corso’s final ever broadcast on Aug. 30.

The Week 1 contest between Ohio State and Texas figures to be a highly ranked affair, with both the defending national champion Buckeyes and Longhorns having title aspirations in 2025.

The network announced Corso’s retirement in April, noting the legendary college football personality would make his final appearance during Week 1 of this upcoming season, after a nearly four-decade run on the show.

“Lee Corso has developed a special connection to generations of fans through his entertaining style and iconic headgear picks,” ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro said. “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.”

The former collegiate head coach and Florida State player has become well known for his tradition of donning the mascot heads of teams he predicts will win the show’s featured matchup.

According to ESPN, Corso, 89, boasts a 286-144 record picking games with headgear since he began that segment in October 1996.

“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. ESPN gave me this wonderful opportunity and provided me the support to ensure success. I am genuinely grateful.”

Ohio State begins its title defense with three straight home games, also hosting Grambling State and Ohio before taking to the road for a Sept. 27 matchup with Washington. The Buckeyes bring back a talented roster but are replacing both coordinators and will have an entirely new backfield.

For Texas, the game marks the highly anticipated turn to Arch Manning at quarterback following a semifinal run a season ago. The Longhorns’ schedule lightens up after the trip to Ohio, with home games against San Jose State, UTEP and Sam Houston to close out September.

–Field Level Media

Jan 1, 2025; Pasadena, California, USA; Lee Corso on the ESPN Gameday set at Rose Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Lee Corso ending four-decade run at ESPN’s ‘GameDay’

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Lee Corso is hanging up his headgear and ending a nearly four-decade broadcasting run with ESPN’s “College GameDay” in August, the network announced Thursday.

Corso, who turns 90 on Aug. 7, has been a host of the college football television staple since 1987. He will make his farewell appearance on Aug. 30.

“My family and I will be forever indebted for the opportunity to be part of ESPN and College GameDay for nearly 40 years,” he said in a statement released by ESPN. “I have a treasure of many friends, fond memories and some unusual experiences to take with me into retirement.”

Corso is perhaps best known for his Saturday pregame headgear picks, donning the helmets or mascot “heads” of the team he predicts will win that day’s marquee matchup. According to ESPN, his picks are 286-144 since he began that segment in October 1996.

“Lee Corso has developed a special connection to generations of fans through his entertaining style and iconic headgear picks,” ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro said. “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 joining ESPN, Corso was the head coach at Louisville (1969-72), Indiana (1973-82) and Northern Illinois (1984). He compiled a 73-85-6 record, highlighted by the Hoosiers’ win in the 1979 Holiday Bowl.

Corso was the head coach of the USFL’s Orlando Renegades during the 1985 season, finishing 5-13.

Corso, who suffered a stroke in 2009, had limited his travel in recent years.

“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. ESPN gave me this wonderful opportunity and provided me the support to ensure success. I am genuinely grateful.”

Herbstreit and Corso have shared the “College GameDay” set since 1996.

“Coach Corso has had an iconic run in broadcasting, and we’re all lucky to have been around to witness it,” Herbstreit said in a statement. “He has taught me so much throughout our time together, and he’s been like a second father to me. It has been my absolute honor to have the best seat in the house to watch Coach put on that mascot head each week.”

Chris Fowler, who hosted the show for 25 years, echoed Herbstreit’s sentiments.

“Lee has been an indelible force in the growth of college football’s popularity,” Fowler told ESPN. “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.”

–Field Level Media