Lee Corso, Former Indiana Coach, To Retire From ESPN College GameDay In August

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – ESPN announced Thursday morning that Lee Corso, who has been an analyst on the College GameDay pregame show since it began in 1987, will retire.

ESPN indicated his final broadcast would be on Aug. 30 and will be tied to additional programming to celebrate Corso’s long career on the iconic show.

After 38 incredible years, Lee Corso is retiring ❤️

For multiple generations, Coach has been the face of our Saturday mornings and the sport we love.

Our friend, our coach, our heart ... LC, you will forever be a College GameDay legend! pic.twitter.com/AjK8iNw7ye
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) April 17, 2025

"My family and I will be forever indebted for the opportunity to be part of ESPN and College GameDay for nearly 40 years," Corso said in an ESPN press release. "I have a treasure of many friends, fond memories and some unusual experiences to take with me into retirement."

Corso will be 90 at the time of his final appearance. He played the biggest role in making the ESPN College GameDay show appointment viewing.

Whether it was his strong opinions, entertaining stunts or famous headgear manner of picking games, Corso made College GameDay a delight to watch.

"ESPN has been exceptionally generous to me, especially these past few years," Corso said in his statement, referencing a stroke he had in 2009.

"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."

Corso and Herbstreit had a strong bond. Herbstreit has been on the show 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."

Lee Corso, ESPN GameDay — Nick Saban, Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit on the ESPN College GameDay set on Saturday at Memorial Stadium. | Hoosiers On SI | Todd Golden

Corso made two appearances on College GameDay at Indiana, one in 2017 and another in October 2024 when then-unbeaten Indiana hosted Washington. That day was as much a celebration of Corso as it was for Indiana’s football success.

Corso demonstrated the humor and out-going nature he brought to College GameDay during his time as Indiana coach from 1973-82.

Hired to replace John Pont, who left for Northwestern, Corso was hired from Louisville, where he took the Cardinals to national prominence.

Then, as now, Corso was quick with a quip. During an Indianapolis Press Club question-and-answer session in October 1973 before Indiana played No. 1 Ohio State, Corso was asked if the Hoosiers would do anything different defensively.

“Yeah, we’ll try to use a few extra players,” Corso jested.

Corso’s progress toward transforming Indiana into a winning program started slowly. By 1979, things came together. Indiana started 3-0 and won their first two Big Ten contests.

The Hoosiers would not beat a ranked team – a 27-21 loss at No. 10 Michigan still resonates as a sore spot as the Wolverines scored on the last play of the game via a 45-yard Anthony Carter touchdown. Corso thought Michigan illegally manipulated the clock with a backward pass out of bounds just before the winning play.

However, the season ended happily as Indiana made just its second bowl appearance. In a shootout with high-flying BYU in the Holiday Bowl, Tim Wilbur’s 62-yard punt return touchdown in the fourth quarter provided a thrilling winning score in a 38-37 victory and an 8-4 record for the Hoosiers, their best since 1967.

Indiana would not reach those heights again with Corso. After a 6-5 season in 1980, the Hoosiers faded. After the 1982 season, Corso was not retained. He finished a colorful era in Bloomington with a 41-68-2 record.

However, Corso’s primary legacy is ESPN CollegeGameDay. Saturday mornings for college football will not be the same without him.

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