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ESPN announces impressive College GameDay numbers after Week 4

Joe Cox|
Despite the retirement of legendary commentator Lee Corso, ESPN's GameDay has continued to post impressive viewership numbers.
Despite the retirement of legendary commentator Lee Corso, ESPN's GameDay has continued to post impressive viewership numbers. | Steve Sisney/For The Oklahoman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Miami (FL) Hurricanes

If it seemed like ESPN's epic Saturday pregame show College GameDay was destined to slide in viewership after the retirement of legendary host Lee Corso in Week 1, let one of Corso's aphorisms answer that possibility-- not so fast.

ESPN's impressive stats

For the third week in a row following Corso's retirement, College GameDay has followed with its second most-watched regular season episode, per an ESPN announcement. So yes, following Corso's record-setting finale, ESPN has basically taken only the smallest of steps back and continued to post impressive viewership numbers.

The Week 4 episode, hosted in Miami, delivered an average of 2.8 million viewers, an increase of 33% over the rates from the Week 4 episode in 2024. Those numbers included a peak of 4.4 million viewers with 3.4 million viewers for the final hour of the show, which leads into the noon Eastern kickoffs for the day's action. ESPN noted that this is triple its head to head competition, presumably reflecting Fox's Big Noon Kickoff as that competition.

College GameDay's history continues

Overall, College GameDay has had a 37% bump in viewing from 2024 numbers, a figure that has to be pleasing to a network that bid goodbye to the icon who built much of the show's charm and crazy fun. Corso had been part of College GameDay since its 1987 inception, despite some health issues which temporarily sidelined him. While ESPN has shifted much of the cast over the years, Corso seemed like he might be irreplaceable.

The "Sunshine Scooter" brought a wealth of knowledge, from his days at Florida State as a roommate of Burt Reynolds (yes, THAT Burt Reynolds) to his days of building Indiana and Louisville from doormats to competitive programs. He also was someone who was willing to take himself un-seriously enough to don a mascot head to deliver his famous weekly pick. While Corso's unique energy and charisma are gone, College GameDay's stats back up that the team behind the show is rolling on.

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Joe Cox
JOE COX

Joe is a journalist and writer who covers college and professional sports. He has written or co-written over a dozen sports books, including several regional best sellers. His last book, A Fine Team Man, is about Jackie Robinson and the lives he changed. Joe has been a guest on MLB Network, the Paul Finebaum show and numerous other television and radio shows. He has been inside MLB dugouts, covered bowl games and conference tournaments with Saturday Down South and still loves telling the stories of sports past and present.

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