Lee Corso is hanging up the headgear.
The 89-year-old college football icon announced Thursday that he will retire from ESPN’s “College GameDay” after one final broadcast on Aug. 30 for Week 1.
ESPN added that there will be additional programming to celebrate Corso in the days leading up to his last show.
“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 in a statement released by ESPN. “I have a treasure of many friends, fond memories and some unusual experiences to take with me into retirement.”
Corso, who turns 90 on Aug. 7, has been a fan favorite for decades with his patented headgear picks, where he throws on the mascot head for whatever school he’s picking to win. According to ESPN, the headgear segment began in October of 1995 and Corso has gone 286-144 on those picks.
In addition to mascot heads, Corso would often wear helmets, hats and sometimes even dress up — notably as Notre Dame’s Fighting Irish leprechaun and the Stanford tree.
Rod Mar /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images
Rod Mar /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images ESPN College Gameday analysts (L-R) Chris Fowler, Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit before Washington vs. Oregon game at Husky Stadium on Oct. 12, 2013.
“Lee Corso has developed a special connection to generations of fans through his entertaining style and iconic headgear picks,” ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro said in a statement. “Lee is one of the most influential and beloved figures in the history of college football and our ESPN team will celebrate his legendary career during his final College GameDay appearance this August.”
Corso was unable to speak for a time in 2009 after suffering a stroke, but he returned to the show later that year. His travel has been limited recently as his career has slowed down.
“ESPN has been exceptionally generous to me, especially these past few years,” Corso said. “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 post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.
