Well, Lee Corso isn’t just leaving College GameDay; he’s taking a piece of college football itself with him. Every Week 1, fans eagerly tune in, not only for the games but also for that initial Saturday morning kickoff with Corso leading the charge. For 38 years, dating back to 1987, he’s been the show’s heart and soul, transforming headgear predictions into an art, popularizing his signature “Not so fast, my friend!” and solidifying GameDay’s place as the undisputed No. 1 pregame show. And that left a lasting impact on ESPN’s own reporter, who’s now pulling for the send-off he deserves. A farewell as grand as the man himself.

Corso’s appeal isn’t just based on nostalgia; his record speaks for itself. He made 430 headgear selections covering 69 teams, with a record 45 going to Ohio State. Then he visited over 70 campuses, and GameDay earned nine Sports Emmys during his tenure. That blend of entertainment and analysis kept fans tuning in every Saturday, regardless of location. But it’s not just about the impact Lee Corso had on GameDay; it’s also about the impact that shaped his fellow reporters.

And Paul Finebaum is one of those voices who’s nothing but grateful for the wisdom Lee Corso passed on his way. A mainstay at ESPN since 2013 and instrumental in launching the SEC Network in 2014, Finebaum has witnessed the network’s college football coverage evolve. He spent a season with Corso back in 2013, and throughout all this, it was Corso’s impact that changed Game Day’s picture. “Lee Corso is maybe the single most impactful person in the history of the medium in relation to college football,” said Finebaum. “He just took a different approach. He gave thoughtful analysis, but he showed the underside of why we love college football.”

But this year feels different already: ESPN reports that Lee Corso is retiring his iconic mascot headgear, with his farewell appearance set for August 30 during opening week. The tradition began on October 5, 1996, when Corso first donned a head before Ohio State played Penn State at the Horseshoe. Now, almost thirty years later, he’ll wear his last one in the same stadium, before 100,000+ fans, as Ohio State hosts Texas in a massive season opener. August 30 promises to be an emotional Saturday morning as the curtain falls.

Now, expect waving signs, echoing chants, and likely a few tears. Rece Davis, Kirk Herbstreit, Pat McAfee, Nick Saban, and Desmond Howard will all be there to celebrate the man who made GameDay what it is. Amid the laughter and cheers, Corso will put on that final headgear, flash his famous grin, and remind everyone that college football Saturdays won’t be the same without him.

However, ESPN’s Paul Finebaum wants it to be just about Lee Corso, not the game. “Screw the rundown, make it about Corso,” said Finebaum. “I want to see the love from the fans. I want to see his family, I want that show to end at 11:59:59, and I want to be sitting there in my living room with tears running down my eyes, thanking Lee Corso.” Well, let’s say that is the case. But ever wondered why Lee Corso decided to retire?

What’s the real deal behind Lee Corso’s retirement

After a 28-year coaching career that saw him at Louisville, Indiana, and Northern Illinois, Lee Corso joined ESPN in 1987. He’s since become a College GameDay icon, earning nine Sports Emmys as part of the Outstanding Studio Show team. He even partnered with Kirk Herbstreit to announce Thursday Night Football from 1999 to 2006.

However, in recent years, his health problems started cutting into his airtime. Last season, he missed his second consecutive show, this time in Eugene, Oregon, with Rece Davis providing a brief update during the broadcast before Ohio State and Oregon played. Though fans have grown accustomed to the show occasionally without him, his absence is always felt.

Still, Corso has been fighting through it for years, battling partial paralysis from a 2009 stroke and other health challenges that have limited his appearances. In 2022, he missed five shows and reduced his time on the full three-hour broadcast. And through it all, Kirk Herbstreit was his safety net.

“I just—it wasn’t like we had a discussion. I would just be sitting next to him, and he’d get caught on a word, and I would just try to subtly, like, interrupt him in a funny way or just try to do whatever I could to just kind of just quietly just kind of give him a little nudge or just a little—just a little crutch for him to kind of gather himself and just finish his thought,” Herbstreit recalled on the Ryan Hawk show.

Now, the reason behind Lee Corso’s exit from GameDay is still under wraps, but these timelines show it all clearly—how hard it was for him to keep a happy face and fight it all. But now, when he’s leaving a 40-year-long legacy behind, it’s Corso’s turn to shine for one last time.