Few sports broadcasters have garnered the level of respect, admiration and affection as Lee Corso.
The long-time ESPN “College GameDay” personality is entering his 36th season on the show and is easily its most venerated cast member. He has made a career of one-liners, humorous insight, analysis and, of course, headgear picks.
In so doing, he has earned a place in the all-time pantheon of sports broadcasters. At the start of another college football season, The Sporting News looks at the distinguished timeline of the former football coach and long-time broadcaster.
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Lee Corso age
Corso is 87 years old as of his birthday on Aug. 7, 2022. He is by the far the oldest member of the “GameDay” crew, and the only original cast member still left working the show.
Lee Corso career timeline on ‘College GameDay’
Corso is an original cast member of “GameDay,” being a part of the program since its debut in 1987. At its inception, the show merely gave an overview of the week’s biggest games.
That said, Corso was not a full-time member at the outset of the show. Per the ESPN Press Room, he instead served as a contributor in 1987 and 1988 alongside full-time commentators Tim Brando and Beano Cook. It wasn’t until the show’s third year, in 1989, that he joined full-time as an analyst.
Previously, Corso had worked for ABC as an analyst on USFL games in 1983. That briefly coincided with a 28-year football coaching career which included head coaching stops at Louisville (1969-72); Indiana (1973-82); Northern Illinois (1984); and the USFL’s Orlando Renegades (1985).
The long-time coach debuted on the network in 1987, starting his broadcast career by calling one season of the Arena Football League and two seasons of college football, both in game analyst roles.
He has been a part of “GameDay” as it has undergone significant changes, including in 1993 when it began live on-site broadcasts. He also introduced arguably the most well-known feature of “GameDay” broadcasts on Oct. 5, 1996, when he correctly picked No. 3 Ohio State to beat No. 4 Penn State by donning the Brutus Buckeye headgear.
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Corso in 2009 suffered a stroke that affected his speech. No longer able to ad-lib on live TV as he once had, he stayed on the show by memorizing the script for that week’s episode. Per a 2017 interview with The Washington Post:
It hurts me not to be able to communicate like I used to. … I used to be pretty good at coming back, you know, quick one-liners. I don’t have spontaneity, I can’t do that as much now. … Every single week, I memorize the show, so that when I get on, I can actually do it. It gets frustrating, because I want to be able to be like I was. But the doctor told me about two or three weeks after, he told me, ‘Lee, you’ll never be the same. You might as well adjust to how you’re going to be.’ I haven’t. But I was determined to get back on television. I wanted to get back.”
On Oct. 8 2016, following an “GameDay” montage of Corso’s best headgear picks over 20 years, an emotional Corso thanked the network for not “getting rid” of him following his 2009 stroke:
Thank you for not getting rid of me when I had the stroke. (They) let me recover. And thanks to all the guys on the set, the trucks and everything, for helping with the headgear. But most of all, thanks to the fans.
Corso in 2020 elected to join “GameDay” broadcasts virtually amid the COVID-19 pandemic, as he was at greater risk of long-term harm if he were to become infected. He rejoined the crew in person in 2021 and has remained on the set since.
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Lee Corso headgear picks record
Corso in 1996 introduced the concept of the headgear pick, which has become arguably the most iconic way to pick a winning team in sports broadcasting. The practice — which typically ends the show — also includes something of performance art.
Corso has, for example, brought out live animals; wrestled with famous actors; shot rifles on the set; dressed as James Madison; and even dropped an F-bomb on live television.
But how has his record fared in that time? Not bad: As of Sept. 3, 2022, Corso is 256-130 in his headgear picks (including 2-0 in 2022).
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