It will surely be an emotional scene next Saturday in Columbus when sports broadcasting legend Lee Corso puts on the headgear for the last time and retires from College GameDay and the ESPN airwaves. But fans got a glimpse of what was to come this weekend thanks to a network television special.
ESPN aired a tribute show to Corso, looking back on his life and career in football. As the iconic college football legend just celebrated his 90th birthday, he has had an unparalleled career as a player, coach, and perhaps most notably as a television analyst for ESPN. He has been so singularly associated with the sport, much like his ESPN colleague Dick Vitale on the basketball side, that it’s hard to imagine what life might be like without him making his picks every Saturday.
And as part of the tribute show, ESPN showcased just how wide and deep the admiration for Lee Corso is, not just in the sports world, but in the entertainment world, to his family, and everywhere in between.
Corso was led into a theatre where he watched a video that lasted several minutes long and featured luminaries from almost every walk of life.
Past and present colleagues like Mike Tirico, Chris Fowler, and the current cast of GameDay were featured. Celebrity guest pickers like Will Ferrell, Ken Jeong, and Scottie Scheffler, current coaches like Steve Sarkisian and Brian Kelly, past college football legends like Andrew Luck and Drew Brees were all included in addition to members of Corso’s family.
The tribute concluded with Corso’s longtime College GameDay partner Kirk Hebrstreit, in tears as he gave thanks for everything that Corso had done over the years. And he summed it up beautifully with these words.
“There will never be another Lee Corso.”
From colleagues, to guest pickers, fans and beyond, those around the college football community share what Lee Corso means to them.
We love you, Coach 🧡 pic.twitter.com/jFgiANfVlu
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) August 23, 2025
As the tribute video continued to play, Lee Corso himself became overwhelmed with emotion. And so was anyone else watching at home as well. When it comes to his final College GameDay episode next week, there may not be a dry eye in Columbus either.
