“Not so fast, my friend.” Can you even not recognize that catchphrase? It takes you back to your couch, Saturday mornings, College GameDay on, munchies in hand, waiting to see which mascot head Lee Corso pulls out. But that ride’s finally pulling into the station. After 38 glorious years of headgear picks, the legend’s stepping down. His last hurrah? Week 1 of the 2025 season—August 30. And guess who’s stepping in with a heart full of reverence? None other than Nick Saban.
This whole story is about a legend speaking of another legend. After a productive coaching tenure with Alabama, Nick Saban joined Lee Corso and co. as an ESPN College GameDay analyst in 2024. It hasn’t been long, but he made his comment stick during his Coca-Cola conversations on The Next Round on May 16. “Coach Corso, he’s a legend. Putting on the hat every week as who’s going to win. I mean everybody in America knows what that means,” Saban said. “He’s a great guy, he’s a good person.” Then came the five-word tribute—“We’re going to miss him.” And that coming from the GOAT, it lands differently.
You could hear it from Nick Saban’s voice. That deep respect for the man who helped turn GameDay into college football’s pulpit. From the Bristol studios in 1987 to raucous campuses with thousands of fans, Lee Corso was Saturday. More than 400 mascot heads later—from Brutus to Big Al—the 89-year-old will call it a career. “Do you know anybody else that makes a living putting something else on his head?” he joked in 2018. “I’m telling you, that has been an unbelievable thing for me.”
Lee Corso shares the table with Rece Davis, Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard, Pat McAfee, and Nick Saban. He will retire as the longest-reigning and the last original member after Tim Brandon and Beano Cook. “My family and I will be forever indebted for the opportunity to be part of ESPN and ‘College GameDay’ for nearly 40 years,” the legend himself stated in a news release. “I have a treasure of many friends, fond memories, and some unusual experiences to take with me into retirement.” And as Corso exits, another legend’s presence looms, and surprisingly, it’s an Auburn man.
Nick Saban gets real on Charles Barkley’s Auburn gesture
If you thought Nick Saban and Charles Barkley, the Alabama and Auburn legends, are like oil and water, you’d better change your perception. Because it’s all love between these two giants. And this week’s Region Tradition Pro-Am is proof, as the two were laughing and swinging it on the golf course. “It’s always an honor to be around him because he’s the greatest college football coach ever,” the Auburn basketball legend said. “I have a lot of admiration and respect for him.”
Nick Saban also didn’t hide his true colors on the NBA HoF. “I’ve always looked up to Charles and thought he was a great player. But he does a great job professionally in terms of media, which you all are a part of.” And that Auburn gesture? He endorsed it—“I certainly respect the fact that he comes home and supports the community the way he does.” Two rivals, one mutual respect. That’s the way of the legends.
Lee Corso’s going out, Nick Saban’s just getting started, and Charles Barkley’s still the most entertaining guy in the room. Legends age and the game evolves, but respect never dies.
The post Nick Saban Sends 5-Word Lee Corso Tribute to ESPN After Showing True Colors to Charles Barkley’s Auburn Gesture appeared first on EssentiallySports.
