Lee Corso's final ESPN College Gameday show set for Ohio State vs. Texas
COLUMBUS — Ohio State will host Texas in a massive matchup to open the season on Aug. 30. It has a chance to be the first top-five matchup of the college football season.
So it makes too much sense for the premier college football pregame show to be on the ground in Columbus for the colossal game with high early-season stakes.
ESPN’s College Gameday will be in Columbus for its pregame show to preview the Buckeyes and Longhorns, which will kick off at Noon and will air on FOX.
The pregame show will also serve as the final show appearance for legendary co-host and analyst Lee Corso. Earlier this summer, ESPN announced the 89-year-old Corso will formally sign off after a memorable and remarkable 38 years on ESPN’s College GameDay during the first show of the 2025 college football season.
In addition to the show’s traditional pregame format, ESPN notes that it will also present special programming celebrating Corso in the days leading up to his final show. Corso turns 90 in August, making his run all the more impressive.
“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 press release. “I have a treasure of many friends, fond memories and some unusual experiences to take with me into retirement.”
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ESPN has already provided some moving tributes to Corso over the years. During the 2023 season, Lee Corso donned his 400th headgear. He has made a weekly tradition of putting on headgear for whatever team he picks to win the marquee game of the day.
Of course, the first mascot head Corso ever wore was a Brutus Buckeye head when he picked the Buckeyes in a game back on Oct. 5, 1996. Now he’ll have a chance to put on the Brutus Buckeye head one more time for his final headgear pick — if he sides with Ohio State over the Longhorns.
Corso, the last remaining cast member from the original College 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.
Corso has selected and worn Brutus Buckeye headgear a record 45 times (Alabama is next with 38). This will be the 67th time Ohio State will be playing at a College GameDay locale, the most among all schools (Alabama is second with 60). Ohio State has the most College GameDay victories: 45.