Lee Corso has been part of ESPN’s College GameDay since 1987 and is known for wearing the head of the mascot while picking games. But is the 88-year-old ready to announce his retirement? In a profile from Alex Kirshner in GQ, Corso revealed he’s not retiring and plans to be back on the show for the 2024 season.ย
“I’m gonna be like that guy in Vaudeville,” Corso told Kirshner, per Sports Illustrated. “They hook him around the neck, and they pull him off the stage as he keeps talking.” Corso is the only original College GameDay on-air personality remaining on the show. Earlier this season, Corso celebrated his 400th headgear pick, and part of the show is one of the reasons College GameDay has won eight Emmy Awards.ย
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In an interview with AL.com in 2018, Croso talked about his favorite campus to film College GameDay. “My favorite is Oregon. The Ducks, he said. “My favorite mascot is the Duck. He’s really funny. I enjoy being with the Duck when I go out there. The show is on at 6 a.m. Pacific in the morning. That means they are there all night. The students are there waiting for the show. They are tremendous fans. They have a great football program. Great atmosphere.”
Corso also talked about what keeps him motivated each year. “I love it so much,” he said. “I love the guys I’m working with. I love college football. I’ve been involved with college football since 1953. That’s a long time as a player, coach and 30 years in television. Remember one thing about ESPN. People can be critical of them sometimes for being a large corporation but nine years ago I had a stroke and I couldn’t talk. That’s the way I made my living. ESPN could’ve dumped me very easy, but they didn’t. They helped me and presented me an opportunity to get back on the air. You can say a lot of things about ESPN, but they could’ve dumped Lee Corso, but they stayed with him and that means a lot to me.”
Before joining ESPN, Coroso was an assistant and head coach at the college level. He spent the majority of his time as the head coach at Indiana (1973-1982) and tallied a 41-68-2 record. Coroso was also the head coach at Louisville (1969-1972) and led the team to a 9-1 record during his final season.ย
