After 38 years and 430 headgear picks, Lee Corso is finally walking away from "College GameDay."
The longtime analyst and former player and coach, best known for his gravelly tone, quips, and assortment of mascot chapeaus, is retiring from ESPN's flagship college football program. He'll get his final send-off ahead of No. 1 Texas' clash with No. 2 Ohio State at Ohio Stadium on Aug. 30.
Corso is one of the gridiron's greatest orators, renowned for his charm and passion for the sport. He's the lone ever-present from the first season of "College GameDay," having joined ESPN as an analyst in 1987.
Corso's health has come into sharp focus in the years leading up to his retirement. Here's the latest on his condition ahead of his final "College GameDay" broadcast.
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Lee Corso health update
Corso has remained a fixture on "College GameDay" even as he has aged. He has been felled by occasional illness in recent years. Corso missed four games in 2024, three games in 2022, and only appeared from home during COVID-impacted 2020 season. Some believed he would step away from the broadcast booth for good in 2023 when Nick Saban joined the "College GameDay" cast, but Corso persisted, lending his iconic vocals to another two seasons worth of episodes before opting to retire in 2025. He hasn't featured on the program's full three-hour block in recent years, a shift from his younger years.
Corso suffered a stroke in 2009, temporarily losing the ability to speak after experiencing partial paralysis. He returned to the "College GameDay" set at the start of the 2009 season and has remained the program's most notable attraction in the years since.
How old is Lee Corso?
Corso is 90, having been born on Aug. 7, 1935.
MORE: Lee Corso's best 'College GameDay' moments, from 'Not so fast my friend' to James Madison costume
When did Lee Corso have a stroke?
Corso suffered a stroke on May 16, 2009. The incident, caused by blockage in his small artery, led to partial paralysis. Corso was left unable to speak for about a month after the stroke, although he suffered no permanent damage. Corso made a full recovery, returning to air on Sept. 5, 2009.
"Of all the years, it's really good to be back this year," Corso said during the episode.
"There was never any question whether Lee Corso was coming back," ESPN SVP sports production Mark Gross said. "We were just going to wait, do it on his schedule. To his credit, he did it."
"He fought like hell," Corso's ESPN colleague, Chris Fowler said. "And it worked. And he won."
Why is Lee Corso retiring?
At 90, now felt like the right time for Corso and "College GameDay" to part ways. He endured some health-related struggles during the 2024 season, sounding partially incoherent during an appearance in Tuscaloosa. Between health-related absences and difficult showings on air, the 2025 season seemed as good a time as any for Corso to end his "College GameDay" career.
After 38 incredible years, Lee Corso is retiring ❤️
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) April 17, 2025
For multiple generations, Coach has been the face of our Saturday mornings and the sport we love.
Our friend, our coach, our heart ... LC, you will forever be a College GameDay legend! pic.twitter.com/AjK8iNw7ye
"For multiple generations, Coach has been the face of our Saturday mornings and the sport we love," the program said via a statement posted to X. "Our friend, our coach, our heart...LC, you will forever be a College GameDay legend."