Lee Corso Makes Emotional Decision After Nearly 40 Years on College GameDay

College football icon Lee Corso is set to retire from ESPN’s “College GameDay” this August, officially stepping away after nearly four decades of serving as the show’s most colorful and beloved figure. Corso’s final broadcast is scheduled for Aug. 30, just shy of his 90th birthday.

Known for his theatrical headgear picks and signature phrase, “Not so fast, my friend,” Corso has become synonymous with the pregame atmosphere of college football Saturdays. Since first donning the Ohio State Brutus head in 1995, Corso has made 430 mascot selections and turned a weekly prediction into a cherished tradition.

While his presence has lit up campuses across the country, few schools embraced the Corso spectacle quite like Clemson. 

His visits to Death Valley were marked by electric crowds, passionate fans, and iconic headgear moments—like when he picked the Tigers to beat Notre Dame in the rain-soaked thriller of 2015, donning the Clemson tiger head to a deafening roar from the orange-clad faithful. That emotional connection to places like Clemson helped Corso become more than just an analyst; he was a cultural fixture in the sport.