Lee Corso to receive 2025 NFF Chris Schenkel Award for broadcasting career

Legendary broadcaster Lee Corso is set to receiver the 2025 NFF Chris Schenkel Award for his media career, according to a release. Corso recently appeared on his final ESPN College GameDay show to open the college football season.

The National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame will honor Corso December 9th during the 67th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas at the Bellagio Hotel and Casino. Corso went a perfect 6-0 on his final picks segment during Week 1, going out with a bang.

“Lee Corso is an icon in the world of college football broadcasting, a figure whose passion, insight, and infectious personality have brought the game into homes across the country for nearly four decades,” NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell said. “His experiences as a player at Florida State and a college coach for more than a quarter century laid the foundation for what would become one of our sport’s most colorful broadcasting careers, but it has been his creativity, quick wit, and marketing flair that have clearly set him apart as a broadcaster.

“We are eternally grateful for all he has done to build the next generation of college football fans. We are extremely pleased to name him the 2025 recipient of the NFF Chris Schenkel Award.”

The award was first presented in 1996 and recognizes individuals who have had long distinguished careers broadcasting college football with direct ties to a specific university of platform. Corso, long associated with the premier pregame show, will be honored this winter.

In addition to his stellar picks on the show, Corso’s sendoff also helped draw huge ratings. His final show averaged 3.5 million viewers across ESPN and ESPNU, ESPN announced. That made it the most-watched episode of College GameDay in the program’s storied history. Viewership also peaked at 5.1 million viewers in the final quarter hour, according to Nielsen Fast Nationals.

Corso’s final show turned into a celebration his storied television career. In addition to ESPN and ESPNU, FOX aired the final headgear selection on its airwaves, using the camera connected to the jumbotron at Ohio Stadium. The Buckeyes’ marching band also spelled Corso’s name on the field beforehand, and the Florida State marching band paid a similar tribute in Tallahassee.