Lee Corso's final appearance on ESPN's "College GameDay" was, unsurprisingly, an emotional one.
After joining the program in 1987, Corso's run on the program will end weeks after his 90th birthday. Fittingly, his final appearance came in Week 1 of the 2025 college season with the crew in Columbus, Ohio, for a top-three showdown between Texas and Ohio State.
The 90-year-old Corso received an outpouring of support from across the college football world and beyond, as his GameDay colleagues turned the three-hour program into not just a season preview but also an homage to his legacy.
From pre-recorded messages to tributes throughout the program, Corso received a sendoff commensurate with what he has meant to the program —and college football — for decades.
MORE: How Lee Corso launched College GameDay into legendary status in 1999 | See how Lee Corso's final 'College GameDay' headgear pick unfolded
Lee Corso’s College Gameday sendoff
While tributes poured in throughout the lead-up to Saturday's game, few were as meaningful as Kirk Herbstreit's toast as the crew made final preparations.
With Corso aptly dressed in a tuxedo, each member of the GameDay team took a moment to express how much Corso means to them.
The College GameDay crew will never run out of ways to tell Coach Corso how much he means to them 🥹👏 pic.twitter.com/azxTgZzZlr
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) August 30, 2025
On the desk, the crew wore mascot-sized headgear of Corso's likeness.
The ESPN College GameDay crew wore Lee Corso headgear ❤️ pic.twitter.com/DBC3MZZCbv
— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) August 30, 2025
Head coaches Ryan Day and Steve Sarkisian both paid homage to Corso during their pregame interviews, and 2024 national champion Will Howard wore a t-shirt featuring various pictures of Corso.
National champion 🤝 national icon
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) August 30, 2025
Ohio State coach Ryan Day brought Coach Corso a specialty helmet to celebrate his final show ❤️ pic.twitter.com/aUrjkyz41H
"We wouldn't be where we are today, in the state of college football without you."
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) August 30, 2025
Steve Sarkisian on what Coach Corso means to college football 🧡 pic.twitter.com/d70L9OTlYS
Corso has arrived in the Shoe and Will Howard, wearing a Corso shirt, comes to greet him. pic.twitter.com/OcRh2dE7JS
— Bryan Fischer (@BryanDFischer) August 30, 2025
Among the best tributes was one from Ohio State's marching band, which played on its reputation of trademark formations to spell out "CORSO."
The Ohio State marching band honors Lee Corso ❤️ pic.twitter.com/vW0eUkqgxH
— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) August 30, 2025
Kirk Herbstreit narrated a heartfelt video that teed up Corso's final headgear pick. As cameras returned to the GameDay set at Ohio Stadium, Herbstreit was visibly emotional, fighting back tears when Corso selected Ohio State to win Saturday.
"Give me my first love!"
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) August 30, 2025
Lee Corso's first-ever headgear pick belonged to Brutus and the Buckeyes and it's only fitting that his last one is the same ❤️ pic.twitter.com/A8Fgj8b3TR
The Brutus Buckeye head was a common theme throughout the program. In addition to the poetic nature of Corso's full-circle selection, he was gifted an 85-point Brutus cake, and also gifted his own Brutus head from the mascot himself.
AN 85 LB CAKE FOR COACH 😱 pic.twitter.com/ZLqRGjWsQg
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) August 30, 2025
Coach Corso was gifted a Brutus mascot head 🥹 pic.twitter.com/nCPtA6kgt5
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) August 30, 2025