Ideally, every sports College Football fan wants to be omnipresent at the stadium on Saturdays. Cheering teams on in the flesh amongst their kin, living and breathing every down in the midst of some of the best atmosphere sports have to offer. But the truth is that the majority of fans consume the action vicariously through the TV. So the people with boots on the ground who’re tasked with permeating the emotions through the screen are uniquely important. In a tradition-rich sport, ESPN’s College Gameday is an ancillary tentacle etched in tradition itself. The show has been running for about 4 decades. A lot of evolution and change has occurred in that time. However, one panelist has been a mainstay. Lee Corso has been synonymous with the show since his first appearance in 1987. But all good things must come to an end.
Lee Corso, after almost 40 years with GameDay, is walking away from his stint in the media. The legendary figurehead has announced his retirement. At 89 years old, Father Time was always catching up to Corso. He’d been dealing with health issues for a few years now. Issues that even caused him to miss games last season at multiple junctures. Something which was largely unprecedented in the past. Lee Corso’s retirement was coming down the pipeline, but alas, it still hits hard now that it’s official. Naturally, emotions have been pouring from across the CFB realm in the aftermath of this announcement the morning of April 17th. But his long-time running mate Kirk Herbstreit’s tribute is extra special.
Kirk Herbstreit has shared that panel with Lee Corso for close to 30 years. In many ways, it’s a mentor-protege kind of relationship. In light of this news, Herbstreit took to X and posted a profound monologue. From the video, it’s apparent he was out and about in nature, probably on a morning run of some sort. But best believe he paused and assimilated every bit of emotion in said video. Off the dome, straight via the heart. “Coach, this is Kirk. Just wanted to say I love ya,” began Herbstreit, proceeding to pour all his feelings out for Corso.
“I thank you for so many lessons you taught me. Almost 30 years together, I have enjoyed sitting next to you. Watching you do your thing. So much fun. We’ve had so many great moments on the show, off the show. This is a celebration [of everything that you did for the sport, for College GameDay. You’re an icon. You’re a once-in-a-lifetime person, once-in-a-lifetime broadcaster,” said Kirk Herbstreit. The superlatives aren’t misplaced; Lee Corso really is on the Mount Rushmore of CFB media personalities. Not just because of the sheer volume of his contributions, but the expertise he spewed. Even his quirks. Which segues into Herbstreit talking about Corso’s most iconic one- the headgear after making his picks.
Love ya Coach-you’ll be missed more than ya know. Been our honor to be with ya all these years. https://t.co/tQHMn5wjyV pic.twitter.com/XdH0btZx9K
— Kirk Herbstreit (@KirkHerbstreit) April 17, 2025
The post Kirk Herbstreit Holds Back Tears as ESPN Ensures Lee Corso’s Absence Won’t Be Felt at GameDay appeared first on EssentiallySports.
