Lee Corso receives career-defining honor after College GameDay retirement

Lee Corso’s Hall of Fame induction caps an unmatched broadcast legacy

ESPN broadcaster Lee Corso will be inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame in December. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Lee Corso’s farewell season as a broadcaster just gained an exclamation point. Days after stepping away from ESPN’s College GameDay, the 90-year-old analyst was inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame’s Class of 2025. The honor cements Corso’s status as one of the most influential voices in the history of college football coverage.

Corso joins a 10-member group that includes ESPN founder Bill Rasmussen and longtime technical director Marc Herklotz. The class will be formally inducted Dec. 16 in New York, bringing together leaders across multiple facets of the industry. For Corso, the recognition caps nearly four decades on television and a career defined by both longevity and personality.

When he donned Ohio State’s Brutus Buckeye mascot head back in 1996, Corso created a College GameDay tradition that became appointment viewing. From there, his headgear picks and “Not so fast, my friend!” catchphrase became part of the fabric of Saturday mornings. His contributions went beyond entertainment, giving the sport an instantly recognizable figure who bridged coaching experience with an entertainer’s touch.

Corso’s Hall Of Fame Induction Celebrates A Singular Career

Corso first joined ESPN in 1987 and by 1989 was a full-time analyst on GameDay. Over 38 seasons, he appeared at more than 70 college campuses, made 431 headgear picks, and worked alongside the likes of Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard and Rece Davis. His farewell pick fittingly came in Columbus, Ohio, the site of his very first mascot moment nearly 30 years earlier.

Beyond the antics, Corso brought authority from a coaching career that spanned Louisville, Indiana, Northern Illinois, and a stint in the USFL.

Join us in celebrating the careers of Lee Corso and Greg Gumbel with their induction into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame! ❤️👏 #SBHOF pic.twitter.com/LYQZDHrhoT

— The Montag Group (@TheMontagGroup) September 4, 2025

His perspective balanced humor with expertise, a combination that helped College GameDay grow into one of ESPN’s flagship properties. The show averaged a record 2.2 million viewers in 2024, a testament to its enduring appeal.

The Hall of Fame honor acknowledges his role not only in shaping GameDay but in elevating college football as a national television spectacle. Few broadcasters have been so closely tied to the growth of a sport’s popularity, and Corso’s legacy rests in how he connected with fans as much as how he analyzed the game.

A Broader Legacy For ESPN And Sports Television

Corso enters the Hall of Fame alongside other ESPN-linked figures, including Rasmussen, who launched the network in 1979, and Herklotz, whose innovations in replay and broadcast execution helped define ESPN’s style. Their collective contributions reflect the network’s rise from startup to industry cornerstone.

For fans, however, Corso’s inclusion is the most emotional. His playful rivalry with Herbstreit, his good-natured predictions, and his signature pencil behind the ear made him more than just a television personality. He became part of the weekly ritual of college football, embodying both its tradition and its joy.

ESPN's Lee Corso made his final College GameDay appearance on Saturday. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The induction in December will serve as a formal recognition, but Corso’s place in the sport’s cultural memory is already secure. His retirement and Hall of Fame selection mark the end of an era in college football broadcasting, one unlikely to be replicated.

Corso’s absence will be felt this fall, but his legacy will remain stitched into the DNA of College GameDay and celebrated by the fans who made his Saturday presence essential.