Legendary ESPN “College GameDay” analyst Lee Corso will make his final “GameDay” appearance on Aug. 30 in a clash of titans between No. 1 Texas and No. 2 Ohio State. ESPN announced on Thursday, Aug. 7, that it’s airing a one-hour TV special in honor of the former college football coach.
It’ll be an emotional day on “College GameDay” for Corso, who turned 90 years old on Aug. 7. The one-hour ESPN special on Corso will premiere at 9 p.m. ET on Friday, Aug. 22.
“The primetime special will highlight Corso’s extraordinary life, his larger-than-life personality and the immeasurable impact he has had on college football as a player, coach and broadcaster,” ESPN’s announcement states. “Corso has been connected to the sport for more than 75 years, beginning in the 1950s during his playing days at Florida State, then over nearly three decades as a coach at Louisville, Indiana, Navy and Northern Illinois, and for the past 38 seasons on ESPN’s College GameDay, where he has entertained fans across multiple generations.”
Celebrate Lee Corso and college football with USA TODAY Network’s book
“Not so fast, my friend!” 🧡
Before @CollegeGameDay analyst Lee Corso selects his final headgear, ESPN presents a 1-hr special honoring the legend
🏈 ‘Not So Fast, My Friend: A Lee Corso Special’
Aug. 22 | 9p ET | ESPN, streaming afterward on ESPN+🔗 https://t.co/yZ8E7bEyrU pic.twitter.com/PnGB1qnA8L
— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) August 7, 2025
Fellow “College GameDay” analysts Kirk Herbstreit, Rece Davis, Desmond Howard, Pat McAfee and Nick Saban will be featured in the TV special. Coaches and players such as Drew Brees, Andrew Luck, Lane Kiffin, Kirby Smart and Dabo Swinney will also be featured in the show, according to the announcement.
Corso has been a part of “GameDay” since its first episode aired in 1987 and has made 430 headgear picks, which he’s known for, in his career. He has picked Ohio State 45 times, which is more than any other team in his career.
Corso’s first-ever headgear pick was Brutus Buckeye in Ohio State’s 1996 game against Penn State, which the Buckeyes won 38-7.
Corso has been a huge part of college football for nearly 60 years as a head coach or ESPN broadcaster, and his retirement from “College GameDay” will be an emotional day for many fans.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: ESPN announces special for Lee Corso ahead of final ‘College GameDay’
