COLUMBUS, Ohio – ESPN College GameDay analyst and commentator Lee Corso first wore a mascot’s headgear, signaling his choice for which team would win that day’s big game, on Oct. 5, 1996, before an Ohio State vs. Penn State game at Ohio Stadium. He’ll don his last headgear Saturday, Aug. 30, in front of 100,000-plus fans at Ohio Stadium when the Buckeyes host the Texas Longhorns in a juggernaut of a season-opening game.
ESPN, which had previously announced Corso’s retirement in April, confirmed Tuesday that its first College GameDay show of the season would be Week 1 in Columbus and it will be Corso’s final GameDay show.
Corso, the last remaining cast member from the original GameDay shows that started in 1987, has made 430 mascot headgear selections all-time, according to ESPN, and has a record of 286-144 for a winning percentage of .665. He wore Brutus’ headgear for that initial pick in 1993, and the Buckeyes won, 24-6.
Corso will turn 90 three weeks before his last GameDay show. He played football and baseball at Florida State University and graduated from there with both bachelor’s (physical education in 1957) and master’s (administration and supervision in 1958) degrees.
He was a collegiate head coach for 15 years – at Louisville, Indiana and Northern Illinois – and spent one season coaching in the USFL (Orlando) before joining ESPN in 1987.
Lee Corso and College GameDay notes:
ESPN, which had previously announced Corso’s retirement in April, confirmed Tuesday that its first College GameDay show of the season would be Week 1 in Columbus and it will be Corso’s final GameDay show.
Corso, the last remaining cast member from the original GameDay shows that started in 1987, has made 430 mascot headgear selections all-time, according to ESPN, and has a record of 286-144 for a winning percentage of .665. He wore Brutus’ headgear for that initial pick in 1993, and the Buckeyes won, 24-6.
Corso will turn 90 three weeks before his last GameDay show. He played football and baseball at Florida State University and graduated from there with both bachelor’s (physical education in 1957) and master’s (administration and supervision in 1958) degrees.
He was a collegiate head coach for 15 years – at Louisville, Indiana and Northern Illinois – and spent one season coaching in the USFL (Orlando) before joining ESPN in 1987.
Lee Corso and College GameDay notes:
- Corso has selected and worn Brutus Buckeye headgear a record 45 times (Alabama is next with 38);
- Corso has worn 69 different school mascot’s headgear;
- This will be the 67th time Ohio State will be playing at a GameDay locale, the most among all schools (Alabama is second with 60);
- Ohio State has the most GameDay victories: 46; and
- Ohio State has hosted GameDay the most, with the Aug. 30 Saturday morning show before Ohio State vs. Texas representing the 26th GameDay broadcast from Columbus.
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This article was published by Ohio State Buckeyes on 2025-06-10 14:00:00
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