Lee Corso's family hoped his last College GameDay show would air from Florida State, his alma mater. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Lee Corso family upset College GameDay didn't pick Florida State for final show

Originally posted on CFB-HQ on SI | By James Parks | Last updated Jun 25, 2025 3:22 PM ET

When it was revealed that Lee Corso would retire from College GameDay this season, many hoped that the broadcaster would cap off his career at his alma mater Florida State.

Instead, ESPN announced that Corso would 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.

“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,” Dan Corso, Lee’s son, told the Tallahassee Democrat.

“He was consistent with his love for FSU and the pageantry and tradition of college football, and on a weekly basis for 38 years, 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.

Corso intercepted 14 passes during his FSU career, a record that stood for more than two decades after he left school.

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 its Week 1 event and for Corso’s signoff, as Texas visits Ohio State in a rematch of the CFP semifinal game from last postseason.

Ohio State is the defending national champion, and Texas is set to debut former No. 1 overall recruit Arch Manning as its full-time starting quarterback.

And of course, Columbus is the site of the very first time Lee Corso donned a headgear pick, when he picked the Buckeyes over Penn State in 1996.

And it’s there that he’ll make his final selection, marking the end of an era in college football.

(Corso)