An era ended for «College Gameday» from ESPN on Saturday when Lee Corso, the famous University Soccer and Soccer Analyst coach, retired from the program after 38 years.
Corso, who turned 90 on August 7, is known for his sharp analysis, acrobatics and popular comments about university football and its dynamics. He put on a tuxedo for his final show, which originated at the Ohio stadium in Columbus before the Texas Longhorns who face Ohio state buckers.
Corso is the last founding team of «College Gameday» in the air to sign. The program debuted in 1987 and has become part of the fabric of the university football season as the commentators travel from city to city to cover key games and rivalries. Corso plays a key role in the prediction of the game winner with his choice of team of the team at the end of the three -hour transmission. The Corso ritual putting a hat or a large head pet to indicate that his choice began in 1996 with an Ohio State game.
For Corso, the head of the head that came to define «College Gameday» ended when he began, with the coach selecting the state of Ohio as the predicted winner. ESPN gave the moment when Big Fanfare, who takes him to a pre -recorded segment narrated by Herbstreit. After touching the national anthem, Ohio’s state march band moved to a formation in the field that explained «Corso».
When the time came for the decision, Corso did not hesitate. «This is one of the Easist selections that I have made. Give me my first love,» Corso said as a great head of the famous Brutus pet of the state of Ohio, was placed in his head. Previously in the program, the hosts dug in an 85 -pound cake made in the form of brutus.
According to ESPN, Corso’s record until the 2024 season is 286-144 And has used the helmet of 69 different equipment. Saturday’s decision will be its 431º for the «University game day».
At the beginning of the program, Corso expressed his «deep gratitude for all those who have been part of the trip» to receive Recep Davis and his fellow analysts Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard, Pat Mcafee and Nick Saban. In the multitude of fans that normally surround the medium circle desktop set, numerous fans had great signs paying tribute to Corso and their signature slogans, as «not so fast, my friend.»
Ohio’s state coach Ryan Day, brought a special buckey helmet as a gift for Corsican with an emblem for each of the 45 times that Corso selected the buckey to win.
According to ESPN, Corso also «once had a baby crocodile alive in his hands» while selecting his alma mater, the state of Florida, to win. In The Crowed on Saturday, a fan had a homemade sign that compared Corso’s affinity for the state of Ohio with that of the newly compromised superstars Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. With 45 selections, Ohio State is located as the most selected Corsican team in general, followed by Alabama (38), LSU (25), Florida (22) and Oregon (21), for ESPN statistics.
The program also featured pre -registered tributes to the famous Grearon notable coach as the field marshal of Buffalo Bills Josh Allen, as well as the stars Matthew McConaughey and Will Ferrell.
Corso made a bold prediction in the first minutes of its final show, choosing the LUIS of Louisiana as the last champion of the 2025 University Soccer Season.
Corso spent 28 years as a university soccer coach before spending full time to television. He spent 17 seasons as a chief coach for Indiana, Louisville and northern Illinois. He won fame after starting to appear and organize local television sports programs in Indiana and Louisville.
«How lucky I had to sit next to the best artist in the history of sports television,» Herbstreit said about his former ESPN colleague in an engraved segment. Later, the live Herbstreit program compared Corso with a «Don Corleone or Yoda» for its great ability to listen and offer wise advice.
Corso won respect for his movement in 1962 to recruit the first black player, Darryl Hill, to play for Maryland University, which was a historical movement for a team at the prominent conference of the Atlantic coast. «Due to what you did, I am,» said his partner analyst Howard, former NFL player, Corso during the live program.
When Herbstreit asked him if he had any final message for his legion of fans, Corso simply said: «Thank you.»
When the program ended after the last selection of Corso, the cameras came out to show a sea of fans crowding the set of «College Gameday» before the start.
(Tagstotranslate) ESPN (T) Lee Corso
