Why is ESPN’s Lee Corso Retiring From College Gameday? All About His Headgear Record Across 4 Decades

Lee Corso has anchored ESPN’s “College GameDay” since 1987, turning what began as a quiet studio segment into college football’s rolling block party. Over 38 seasons, he cracked helmets, waved prop swords, and punctuated analysis with “Not so fast, my friend,” all with the glee of a coach still calling plays. His antics joined students, parents, and retirees in a weekly ritual: wait for the grin, then cheer or boo the pick.

That grin has grown harder to summon. Corso, 90, will step aside after Saturday’s Week 1 show in Columbus. The stroke he suffered in 2009 left lasting speech and mobility limits; missed road trips and abbreviated segments followed. ESPN was willing to keep adjusting, but this spring Corso told producers he’d rather bow out before six-hour flights and chilly November mornings dull the magic his fans expect.

Fittingly, his last ride circles back to where the headgear circus began. On 5 October 1996, with Ohio State hosting Penn State, Corso grabbed Brutus Buckeye’s giant noggin, slapped it on, and ignited a phenomenon. From that loud afternoon forward, he has donned 69 different mascots, making 430 picks and posting a 286-144 record, good for 66.5 percent accuracy. Ohio State has been his most frequent foil at 45 picks. USC is the lucky charm, with a spotless 17-0 whenever he backed the Trojans. One final lift of foam and fur on national television will close the curtain, but the image of an irrepressible 5-foot-8 Floridian disappearing into a mascot head is now stitched permanently into college football’s quilt.

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