Fans honor Lee Corso and the joy he brought to CFB
04/18/2025
By Rivers Hughey
There will never be another Lee Corso. A true titan of college football and sports television, Corso has given us decades of unforgettable moments — from the heartfelt to the hilarious to the definitely not safe for broadcast.
Whether he was donning a mascot head, dropping an accidental f-bomb, or making heartfelt predictions, Corso’s charm made every Saturday morning appointment television.
Here’s a look at some tributes from his peers and some of his very best moments, captured perfectly on X.
College GameDay perfectly captured what Lee Corso has meant to all of us with this heartfelt tribute announcing his retirement.
After 38 incredible years, Lee Corso is retiring ❤️
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
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) April 17, 2025
No tradition in college football is more beloved (or more purely Corso) than his legendary headgear picks, a tradition that became the highlight of every GameDay show.
The story behind Lee Corso’s iconic headgear tradition 🙌
Thank you, Coach Corso ❤️ pic.twitter.com/aDHW5HbKHd
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 17, 2025
Lee Corso sporting Brutus as the first ever mascot head pick and will again the last when OSU plays Texas this season
Symmetry 🐐
— McNeil (@Reflog_18) April 17, 2025
MY ALL-TIME FAVORITE LEE CORSO MOMENT?!?
Oh, that’s like askin’ me to pick my favorite meal at Thanksgiving…TOO MANY CLASSICS TO CHOOSE FROM!!
But if I had to pick JUST ONE?
It’s gotta be when he pulled out the WRONG headgear on live television, paused, SMILED… and then…
— Stephen A Smith (NOT) (@StephenATruths) April 17, 2025
Scott Van Pelt summed up what so many of us feel, delivering a heartfelt and emotional tribute.
1️⃣ BIG THING: Lee Corso 🐐 @notthefakeSVP on how one legend reshaped college football Saturdays 🏈 pic.twitter.com/3LEKQgKQRW
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 18, 2025
RGIII paid his respects to Corso with a kind message, calling him a true legend whose passion made college football even more special.
Thank you Lee Corso.
Thank you for your passion for College Football.
Thank you for your storytelling.
Thank you for being a great teammate to all who had the honor of working with you.
One more show, but we all know you will be missed on TV.
But most of all, you will be… pic.twitter.com/5rLa6rjCsC— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) April 17, 2025
Chris Fowler reflected on the joy, energy, and unforgettable moments he got to experience alongside Corso through the years.
quick reflections and tribute to a dear friend and living legend, with word now official that #leecorso is retiring from @CollegeGameDay after one huge send off!
much more to come. Love you, LC! pic.twitter.com/V2Q15Qi795— Chris Fowler (@cbfowler) April 17, 2025
Only Corso could turn a College GameDay into a full-on party. Example? The time he famously crowd surfed at Penn State.
“Hell no, sweetheart!”@ReceDavis recalls one of his favorite Lee Corso memories crowd surfing at Penn State. pic.twitter.com/dVsAJIJ0Ma
— Paul Finebaum (@finebaum) April 17, 2025
Corso was right at home in one of the wildest College GameDay scenes ever, teaming up with guest picker Katy Perry for pure, unforgettable corndog fun at Ole Miss.
I’m obviously biased but doing Gameday in the Grove in a seersucker suit and bow tie next to a corn dog-wielding astronaut is my favorite Corso memory pic.twitter.com/6MjwWEImPO
— Bunkie Perkins (@BunkiePerkins) April 17, 2025
In true Corso fashion, he didn’t just pick Oklahoma State, he went full Pistol Pete.
Remember when Lee Corso literally became Pistol Pete while Rickie Fowler just sat there stunned? Good times. A well deserved retirement for one of the faces of college football.
— McClain (@McclainBaxley) April 17, 2025
Only Corso could turn a Notre Dame pick into a full-on performance, dancing across the stage in a Leprechaun costume and stealing the show in the process.
Lee Corso dances with the Notre Dame Leprechaun and almost goes down. 🏈🎙️😬 #CFP pic.twitter.com/GE5upFPRrj
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) January 10, 2025
Corso always embraced the boos when he picked against a hostile home crowd.
Lee Corso rarely went against the home crowd on College GameDay, but when he did it was great.
Here he is in 2011 turning heel on Morgantown and picking LSU over West Virginia.
He’s gonna be missed. pic.twitter.com/sCVBzEnKdT
— Mike Beauvais (@MikeBeauvais) April 17, 2025
Corso had no problem speaking his mind. Like the time he picked Georgia but couldn’t help roasting Uga.
“I love Georgia..BUT THAT DOG IS UGLY” https://t.co/txrPjqKYme pic.twitter.com/3KeeWsFhuu
— Riley (@Ri_S_OB) April 17, 2025
In a classic only Corso moment, he accidentally called a child a “midget” on live TV. It was a cringey slip, but somehow still delivered with the kind of harmless, charm only he could pull off.
Thank You for the memories Lee Corso 🐐 pic.twitter.com/0zWHKnJxef
— Unnecessary Roughness (@UnnecRoughness) April 17, 2025
Of all Corso’s unforgettable moments, none was more hilariously unexpected than the time he dropped an unfiltered f-bomb live on air. And somehow made us love him even more.
We all know the best Lee Corso moment… pic.twitter.com/PDY4Ardyve
— Andy Staples (@Andy_Staples) April 17, 2025
It wouldn’t be a true tribute without the numbers and Corso’s stats over his legendary College GameDay career are just as impressive as the man himself.
Coach Lee Corso by the numbers 🤯
🐻 430 mascot headgear picks
🏈 66.5% win rate of picks all-time
🏆 Perfect season = 1999More on LC’s 38 years on @CollegeGameDay: https://t.co/RpjhSPhmQJ pic.twitter.com/nY3hoTDbSm
— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) April 17, 2025
For nearly four decades, Lee Corso wasn’t just part of college football — he was college football. His heart, humor, unpredictability, and love for the game made every Saturday morning feel a little more special.
There will never be another like him, and honestly, we wouldn’t want that. Thanks for the memories, Coach, and for reminding us all to never, ever be afraid to put on the mascot head.