After four decades at the network, ESPN announced the retirement of CollegeGame Day legend Lee Corso. Corso, who turns 90 in August, is best known for his mascot headgear picks at the end of each CollegeGame Day show.
Ending a broadcast career that started in 1987, the former coach also was famous for his “not so fast, my friend” retort when he disagreed with someone on GameDay panel and for always holding a No. 2 pencil. Corso spent 28 years as a college and pro football coach, including 15 years as a collegiate head coach at Louisville, Indiana and Northern Illinois.
The Illinois native also played at Florida State, where he was known as the “Sunshine Scooter.” He held the school record for career interceptions for two decades and also played quarterback in Tallahassee. Corso’s college roommate was future Hollywood star Burt Reynolds.
“My family and I will be forever indebted for the opportunity to be part of ESPN and College GameDay for nearly 40 years,” Corso said in a statement. “I have a treasure of many friends, fond memories and some unusual experiences to take with me into retirement.”
Started in 1995 at an Ohio State game, the headgear segment became the pregame show’s most popular and anticipated segment. Corso’s most famous Longhorns pick was for the 2005 BCS title game against USC in the Rose Bowl. Corso put on the Longhorn headgear and was one of the few at ESPN who picked Texas. Vince Young had Corso’s back in Pasadena as Texas won the national championship 41–38.
Another time Corso was on an island picking the Longhorns was the 2023 game that saw Texas beat Alabama in Tuscaloosa 34-24. Corso stopped the playing of Sweet Home Alabama by Lynyrd Skynyrd and told the crew, “Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. That’s not the right song, play Texas Song,” before putting on the Bevo headgear.
GameDay was also in Austin for the Missouri game in 2008. Corso had some fun with the headgear and picked the No. 1 ranked Longhorns, led by QB Colt McCoy. Texas would oblige, beating the Tigers 56-31. UT would go onto the BCS national title game in the Rose Bowl where they fell to Alabama.
The Texas Longhorns have been featured on ESPN’s College GameDay 24 times, 10 times in Austin. The Longhorns are 12-11 in those games.