By Mallory Mattingly
After 38 years broadcasting for ESPN’s COLLEGE GAMEDAY, Lee Corso announced it is time to retire.
Corso, who turns 90 in August, will make his final appearance on COLLEGE GAMEDAY on Aug. 30.
“My family and I will be forever indebted for the opportunity to be part of ESPN and COLLEGE GAMEDAY for nearly 40 years,” he announced in a statement with ESPN. “I have a treasure of many friends, fond memories, and some unusual experiences to take with me into retirement.”
“ESPN has been exceptionally generous to me, especially these past few years,” Corso continued. “They accommodated me and supported me, as did my colleagues in the early days of COLLEGE GAMEDAY. Special thanks to Kirk Herbstreit for his friendship and encouragement. And lest I forget, the fans…truly a blessing to share this with them. ESPN gave me this wonderful opportunity and provided me the support to ensure success. I am genuinely grateful.”
Fellow COLLEGE GAMEDAY broadcaster Kirk Herbstreit shared on Instagram some of his emotions over Corso’s exit from the show.
“Ya gotta know our guy doesn’t have a computer, let alone social media…haha…so I called him just now to make sure he knew how much the CFB community has been pouring out their love for him.” Herstreith wrote. “As we talked about other things we were about to hang up and he said, ‘Hey Kirk, can you put up on your Facebook or Twitter or whatever it is how much I appreciate all the well wishes-it really means a lot to me’-and I told him ‘I don’t have Facebook but I’ll definitely send out on X/IG to let people know how much you appreciate it.'”
“It’s hard to let go. But he really sounds like he’s at peace, and it’s the right time. God bless him-he’s the best!” the broadcaster continued.
Related: ESPN Broadcaster Kirk Herbstreit: Jesus Is The Answer
The COLLEGE GAMEDAY Instagram account also shared their love of Corso, writing, “For multiple generations, Coach has been the face of our Saturday mornings and the sport we love. Our friend, our coach, our heart…LC, you will forever be a College GameDay legend!”
ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro addressed Corso’s exit in a statement and said, “Lee Corso has developed a special connection to generations of fans through his entertaining style and iconic headgear picks. Lee is one of the most influential and beloved figures in the history of college football and our ESPN team will celebrate his legendary career during his final COLLEGE GAMEDAY appearance this August.”
Though Corso’s legendary career will come to an end on Aug. 30, he’s devoted nearly half of his life to the college football community, a commitment that won’t be forgotten.
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