Kirk Herbstreit Delivered Heartfelt Toast to Honor Lee Corso Ahead of Final ‘GameDay’

Kirk Herbstreit has seen the impact Lee Corso has had on college football up close.

Kirk Herbstreit and Lee Corso have been through it all together. / @KirkHerbstreit / X

Ahead of Lee Corso’s final appearance on ESPN’s College GameDay this weekend, celebrations of his career are pouring in from fans and coworkers alike. Even Southwest Airlines was sure to give Corso his flowers. It’s what happens when you have a career as long and as beloved as Corso has had.

On Friday, Corso’s closest partner on the GameDay desk, Kirk Herbstreit, shared a video of the toast he gave while the production team was enjoying a meal together ahead of this weekend’s taping in Columbus, Ohio.

“People see you with the headgear, people see all the silly stuff you do, but I think what we see is the smile every Friday meeting, whether you’re the makeup artist or Rece Davis, everybody in between,” Herbstreit said.

“You just lighten everybody up. You lifted everybody up. You’ve done that, I’m sure as a coach, but our experience with you, for me the last 30 years, I’ve never seen you have a bad day. If you have a bad day, you never really show you’re having a bad day. You’re always positive. You’re the backbone of what this show has been about. We’re going to celebrate you the way you should be.”

A toast to Coach Corso pic.twitter.com/mbcR1aVFA8

— Kirk Herbstreit (@KirkHerbstreit) August 29, 2025

Corso will make his final headgear pick on Saturday before kickoff of the game between No. 1 Texas and No. 3 Ohio State. It will be a game, and a GameDay, to remember.

---

More College Football on Sports Illustrated

feed