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Pat McAfee Sends Personal Message to Lee Corso After Announcing Retirement

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Cole Sullivan | Last updated Apr 17, 2025 11:41 AM ET

Some sad, yet powerful, news struck the college football world on Thursday morning when the legendary Lee Corso, at the age of 89, announced his retirement from ESPN and "College GameDay."

Corso has been a part of the show since its debut 38 years ago and has remained a staple ever since. Whether it was his energetic personality, iconic headgear selections, or insightful football analysis, he played a crucial role in the show’s success.

He will, however, have one final opportunity to put on his headgear during the Aug. 30 broadcast, which will mark Week 1 of the 2025 college football season. The day will feature a high-profile matchup between Ohio State and Texas, and it would be a fitting end to his career for Corso to don the Brutus the Buckeye headgear—his very first—and close the chapter the same way it began.

Following the announcement, Corso received heartfelt messages from several colleagues, including one from fellow "College GameDay" analyst Pat McAfee, who has quickly become a fan favorite on the network.

"Absolute legend," McAfee said. "Thanks for everything Coach."

Absolute legend

Thanks for everything Coach https://t.co/eII26DFYEP pic.twitter.com/lFhMqdSCFb
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) April 17, 2025

McAfee, though still one of the newer faces on the show despite joining a few years ago, has quickly become a fan favorite. His larger-than-life personality has meshed perfectly with Corso and the rest of the crew.

Corso expressed his gratitude to ESPN for the incredible journey he had with the program, helping build the show into the most popular pregame college football broadcast in the country.

My family and I will be forever indebted for the opportunity to be part of ESPN and College GameDay for nearly 40 years," Corso said. "I have a treasure of many friends, fond memories and some unusual experiences to take with me into retirement. ESPN has been exceptionally generous to me, especially these past few years.

Corso continued, "They accommodated me and supported me, as did my colleagues in the early days of College GameDay. Special thanks to Kirk Herbstreit for his friendship and encouragement. And lest I forget, the fans... truly a blessing to share this with them. ESPN gave me this wonderful opportunity and provided me the support to ensure success. I am genuinely grateful."

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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