Tennessee football fans must be remembering the day from September 2016. The legendary Lee Corso made the College GameDay special for the Volunteers fans as he made his game pick with NASCAR Sprint Cup driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. Forget mascot headgear. Corso donned a Tennessee Volunteers racing helmet. And guess what? The legend was right that time as Tennessee won in a 45-24 battle. Now that the college football world’s day of heartbreak is approaching, it’s time for the program to pay its tribute to Corso.

Josh Heupel joined Tennessee as the head coach in 2021. So, he was not lucky enough to enjoy the Corso era for a long time. But so what? Even though the legend runs on negative in his prediction game for Tennessee, the Vols squad sends a heartfelt parting note. 

On August 26, Tennessee Football tweeted a video on X that’s a collage of all the times Corso picked Tennessee. The caption said it all, “We’d pick you every time. Thanks, from all of us on Rocky Top! 🍊” Now, going through that video is definitely going to leave fans looking for tissues to wipe their tears. One of them was from the 2022 College GameDay, when Corso was accompanied by Peyton Manning, in the show held outside of Ayres Hall on the University of Tennessee campus in Knoxville, Tennessee, on Saturday, October 15, 2022.

There is another clip from September 24, 2022, when Bianca Belair and Corso chose Tennessee to defeat Florida. “I was going with the Gators, but looking at these fans, how could you all go get these fans?” said Corso as the crowd behind him erupted in a cheer. Absolute goosebumps moment! When it comes to winning hearts with the vibes, the legend scored full points. But what about the accuracy of the predictions in his more than 30 years for the Vols squad?

The college football icon made his first selection for the Volunteers back in 1997 when he predicted the Florida Gators to defeat the Vols in Gainesville. The first time, luck did not favor the Vols, and Corso’s prediction came out to be correct. Going by the reported figure, he made 22 predictions involving the Volunteers. Out of which, he ended up calling 16 of them correctly. That brings an impressive 73% success rate. Among these picks, Corso voted Heupel’s program to win eight times, out of which six times were spot on. And what about the loss predictions?

Corso voted Tennessee to be the losing team on 14 occasions, with 10 of those forecasts proving accurate. His last prediction for Tennessee came in the 2024 postseason as he picked Ohio State to defeat Heupel’s boys. And it was right as the Buckeyes handed them a 42-17 loss. But so what? Tennessee will be forever indebted to Corso for the priceless moments he gifted, as the X video ended with a “THANK YOU COACH” message. Now, how are other programs coping with the farewell?    

Lee Corso’s retirement touches hearts even beyond college football

At 90 years of age and one of the longest-tenured people in all of ESPN, let alone their college football coverage, Corso is an institution of college football all by himself. Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day reflected on the impact that the College GameDay analyst leaves behind. “He’s certainly made a major impact on a lot of people… for him to be here for his last game in his last year, it means a lot to us,” the coach said.

Corso’s impact has not been limited only to college football. Now, LeBron James penned a tribute as the analyst’s 38-year run is coming to an end. The Los Angeles Lakers’ star player wrote, “We will all miss you man!!” alongside a reel that showcased heartfelt tributes from ESPN analysts. If college football head coaches, NBA stars are so moved by Corso’s retirement, think about the ones who spent day after day with the legend, sharing the same stage. 

One such person is ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit. On August 22, College GameDay posted a clip of Herbstreit’s interview with the caption, “Thanks for everything, Coach 👏.” In that clip, Herbstreit was seen paying his tribute to his mentor when he broke down in tears. He said, “An incredible…(breaks down in tears)…honor and privilege to be with ya, to be your partner for all these years. There will never be another Lee Corso…” More than others, the pain of separation is even sharper for Herbstreit. 

After all, there existed a father-son bond between the two. As Kirk Herbstreit, on the Net Positive podcast, recalled one heartfelt moment he shared with Lee Corso. “We would go to a photoshoot or a commercial out in LA and be in the back of a car going to the shoot,” said Herbstreit. “And I didn’t know him that well early, and I started talking to him about getting married. And then a year or two later, having kids, and my kids were premature by about 11-12 weeks, and they’re born two pounds, and I was talking to him about going through that as a young dad. And he listened, and he gave great information.” The booth may welcome new voices, but none can truly replace Lee Corso.