Longhorns Country

Lee Corso Announces Retirement; Texas Longhorns to Feature in Final Game?

The Texas Longhorns could help send off a college football icon the right way.
Jon Alfano|
Lee Corso picks Texas to win as Mark Cuban, left, and Kirk Herbstreit laugh during ESPN's College GameDay show.
Lee Corso picks Texas to win as Mark Cuban, left, and Kirk Herbstreit laugh during ESPN's College GameDay show. | BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK

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Texas Longhorns

It's officially the end of an era for college football.

On Thursday morning, former coach and beloved ESPN personality Lee Corso announced that he would make his final headgear pick for College GameDay on Aug. 30, Week 1 of the 2025 season. Corso, who turns 90 on Aug. 7, has been a staple on College GameDay since its inception in 1987.

"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 a statement released by ESPN. "I have a treasure of many friends, fond memories and some unusual experiences to take with me into retirement."

Lee Corso on the ESPN Gameday set at Rose Bowl Stadium.
Lee Corso on the ESPN Gameday set at Rose Bowl Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

With Corso being such a legendary figure, ESPN will obviously want to send him out in the best way possible, and there's only one game that makes sense as a destination.

On Aug. 30, the Texas Longhorns will travel up north to face the Ohio State Buckeyes in a rematch of January's College Football Playoff semifinal game at the Cotton Bowl. Even though both teams will look substantially different in August than they did in January, a matchup between two blue bloods to start the season will always be exciting. It's by far the most-intriguing game on the Week 1 slate, and a fitting way to send Corso out on a high note.

Additionally, this would a perfect full-circle moment for Corso. His first-ever headgear pick came at an Ohio State game in 1995, so having his final one coming in Columbus as well would make for a storybook ending.

Corso has donned the Bevo headgear 18 times throughout his career, with the Longhorns boasting a 10-8 record in those games. He picked the Longhorns to win the Cotton Bowl in January, though the Buckeyes obviously ended up winning that game.

Whether he dons the Bevo or Brutus headgear on Aug. 30, Corso will leave an incredible legacy behind after he walks away.

"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."

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Jon Alfano
JON ALFANO

Jon is a lead writer for Baltimore Ravens On SI and contributes to other sites around the network as well. The Tampa native previously worked with sites such as ClutchPoints and GiveMeSport and earned his journalism degree at the University of Central Florida.

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