THE family of legendary analyst Lee Corso were left “disappointed” by a business decision taken by ESPN.
Corso, the longtime ESPN analyst, will retire from College GameDay after Week 1 of the 2025 season on August 30.
Lee Corso’s family were left ‘disappointed’ with a decision made by ESPN for his final College GameDay show[/caption]
The network snubbed Corso’s alma mater Florida State stadium for Ohio[/caption]
When it was revealed that Corso would end his 89-year iconic run, many hoped that the broadcaster would cap off his career at his alma mater Florida State.
But ESPN has announced that Corso will instead have his final show at Ohio State, where he made his very first headgear pick nearly 30 years ago.
That decision irked some in his family, Corso’s son revealed.
Dan Corso told the Tallahassee Democrat: “As a family of Seminoles, yes, it was disappointing.
“But at the same time, it will be fun to watch his last GameDay and headgear in Columbus.
“He was consistent with his love for FSU and the pageantry and tradition of college football, and on a weekly basis reminded everyone that college football is a great form of entertainment.”
The idea of hosting College GameDay at Florida State wouldn’t just have been a nice tribute for Corso personally, but could have made good television in its own right, as the Seminoles welcome Alabama for a major SEC vs. ACC matchup in Week 1.
Corso played quarterback and cornerback at Florida State from 1953 to 1957 and became a graduate assistant in 1958, the first stop on his long-time coaching career.
He also played baseball for the Seminoles and famously roomed with football player and eventual movie star Bert Reynolds.
During his Seminoles career he racked up 14 interceptions, which was the most in program history until 1980, when Monk Bonasorte finished his time with 15 picks.
Corso won a honorable mention All-American (Associated Press) as a senior in 1956 and led the team in interceptions in 1954, rushing in 1955 and passing in 1956.
His final show will cover Ohio State against Texas in a highly-anticipated showdown.
Corso has worked on College GameDay since it began in 1987.
He became a Saturday morning staple for fans with his weekly headgear picks, in which he predicted which school would win the chosen “GameDay” matchup by donning a mascot head of his pick.
By doing it week after week — more than 430 times — he endeared himself to fans nationwide.
ESPN decided that Corso’s final College GameDay will take place in Ohio[/caption]
He has been making his iconic headgear picks for 38 years and became a staple of the college football schedule[/caption]
He famously went 11-0 in 1999, and has been correct 66.5 per cent of the time in total.
Florida State has not hosted College GameDay since the 2014 season, but it has been a consistent feature on the program, hosting it 36 times over the years.
The Seminoles are 17-19 all-time with College GameDay on campus.
Still, it’s hard to begrudge ESPN for picking another monster game for Corso’s signoff, as Texas visits Ohio in a rematch of the CFP semi-final game from last postseason.
Upon confirmation of his upcoming retirement, Corso said: “My family and I will be forever indebted for the opportunity to be part of ESPN and College GameDay for nearly 40 years.
“I have a treasure of many friends, fond memories and some unusual experiences to take with me into retirement.”
Meanwhile, Corso’s former colleague Gene Wojciechowski’s time at ESPN officially came to an end at the start of the month.
Their old crew-mate Sam Ponder was laid off a year ago, too.
