College football icon Lee Corso gets unforgettable farewell at 90 as rivals ESPN and Fox Sports pay tribute

Lee Corso said goodbye to ESPN’s “College GameDay” on Saturday, August 31, 2025, with a special tribute from both ESPN and rival Fox Sports. The 90-year-old, who joined the show when it first aired in 1987, made his final mascot headgear pick during the broadcast from Columbus, Ohio, before the Ohio State vs.

Texas matchup. Corso wore a tuxedo for his farewell, and fans cheered as he ended his career with the same first pick he ever made on GameDay, Ohio State.

Tom Rinaldi and Fox Sports honor Lee Corso during final College GameDay show

Fox Sports’ “Big Noon Kickoff,” usually in competition with ESPN on Saturdays, paused to pay tribute to Lee Corso on his retirement day. Reporter Tom Rinaldi, who worked with Corso at ESPN in the past, shared a heartfelt video essay from inside Ohio Stadium in Columbus.“Say the name Lee Corso at any campus across this country, across this last set of decades, and you’ll get the same universal reaction: a smile,” Rinaldi said as the tribute played.

He called Lee Corso “Saturday morning’s grandfather” and “the game’s enduring, endearing gift,” before adding, “Lee Corso isn’t a college football institution. Because institutions aren’t beloved – he is.”The video showed highlights of Corso’s long football life.

Before ESPN, he coached at Maryland, Navy, Louisville, Indiana, and Northern Illinois. It also included his most famous GameDay tradition, putting on the mascot headgear of the team he picked each week.

Fans inside the stadium held up posters that read messages like “NO MASCOT HEAD BIG ENOUGH 4 YOUR LEGACY” and “WE LOVE U.” At the end of the show, Corso lifted Brutus Buckeye’s headgear one last time, saying, “Give me my first love!”

Kirk Herbstreit and Pat McAfee reflect on Lee Corso’s health and determination

Lee Corso’s health has been a concern for years. He suffered a stroke in 2009 that affected his speech and memory.

He missed several shows in 2022 and was not on set for full broadcasts in recent years.

Kirk Herbstreit, his longtime co-host, spoke about those struggles in 2023 on Pat McAfee’s show. “We all wondered, ‘is he gonna be OK?’ and he was determined with his speech therapist,” Kirk Herbstreit said. “If you ever know of anybody who’s had a stroke, that’s sometimes very hard to overcome and he still is working on that to this day. So it’s not just that he’s 88. It’s that he had a stroke. He’s worked very hard to get his words out and God bless him for having that wherewithal and that passion to love this game so much to keep trying to go.”Also Read: Dallas Cowboys Legend Lee Roy Jordan Passes Away At Age 84 After Iconic Super Bowl CareerOn Saturday, August 31, 2025, Pat McAfee hugged Corso on the ESPN set as fans roared. At one point, the GameDay crew even wore headgear with Corso’s face on it to celebrate him.The final pick of Lee Corso’s career was also shown on Fox, marking his 431st mascot selection. Corso also predicted LSU to win the 2025 national championship.