For the final time, Lee Corso will don a college football mascot head and deliver his famous phrase: “Not so fast, my friend.”
This Saturday’s ESPN broadcast of defending national champion Ohio State hosting Texas will mark the end of an era. Corso, now 90, will officially retire after a remarkable career that has influenced college football for more than 70 years.
From his days as a player, to his time as a coach, and eventually as a legendary broadcaster, Corso’s journey through the sport is one-of-a-kind. His passion, wit, and signature flair made him a beloved fixture of Saturday mornings and a defining voice of college football.
A Lifelong Commitment to the Game
Corso’s football story began in the 1950s as a standout at Florida State University, where he played both quarterback and cornerback. His 14 career interceptions set a school record that stood for two decades.
After graduation, he transitioned to coaching. Over 28 years, he led programs at Louisville, Indiana, Navy, Northern Illinois, and briefly in the USFL with the Orlando Renegades. His leadership across these teams earned him induction into multiple Halls of Fame, including Florida State, Louisville, Indiana, and the Florida and Kentucky Sports Halls of Fame.
But it wasn’t until the USFL folded in the mid-1980s that Corso found his true second act—television.
The Face of College GameDay
In 1987, Corso joined ESPN’s College GameDay as an analyst. Over the next 38 seasons, he became the heart and soul of the show, helping transform it into a beloved Saturday tradition for fans nationwide.
In 1996, Corso introduced the now-iconic tradition of donning the mascot headgear of the team he predicted would win the day’s biggest game. The first was Brutus, the Ohio State Buckeye mascot.
Since then, he’s suited up as everything from the Notre Dame Leprechaun to the Stanford Tree—and even once rode in on a motorcycle with the Oregon Duck.
With his Ticonderoga No. 2 pencil in hand and infectious energy, Corso brought unpredictability and joy to every broadcast.
Over his tenure, he made 430 headgear picks, finishing with a record of 286-144. He picked Ohio State the most (45 times), followed by Alabama’s Big Al (38). Despite his many picks, he never once chose against Navy, honoring his past as an assistant coach there.
His best season? A perfect 11-0 record in 1999.
A Resilient and Celebrated Figure
Corso’s journey wasn’t without adversity. In 2009, he suffered a stroke that left him temporarily unable to speak. But, true to his resilient nature, he fought back—returning to College GameDay and continuing to charm audiences with his humor and spirit.
A year later, in 2010, Corso received the Contributions to College Football Award from the National College Football Awards Association, honoring his lifetime of dedication and integrity in the sport.
Ahead of his final game, Corso was honored by fans and airline staff at a Columbus airport gate with a standing ovation—a heartfelt tribute to a man who’s meant so much to the sport and its community.
A Legacy That Transcends the Game
Corso’s legacy is about more than just predictions and mascot heads. It’s about the joy he brought to millions of fans, the energy he shared with his colleagues, and the tradition he helped build.
His personal mission was simple: “To bring a smile to everybody’s face.” By all accounts, he did just that.
“There’s no one more responsible for GameDay becoming a cultural phenomenon than Lee Corso,” said host Rece Davis. “He changed the way the game was covered—with humor, irreverence, and that unique Corso flair.”
As he steps away from the spotlight, one question remains: Will someone continue the mascot headgear tradition? Or will it retire with Corso himself?
Whatever the future holds, one thing is clear: College football Saturdays will never be quite the same without Lee Corso.
From the field to the sidelines to millions of living rooms across the country, Corso leaves behind a legacy that’s larger than life—and certainly larger than any mascot head he ever wore.
