Legendary Analyst Lee Corso Retires After 29 Years of Iconic Mascot Headgear Picks

As the 2025 college football season approaches, one of the sport's most beloved traditions is coming to an end. Lee Corso, the 90-year-old analyst who has been a fixture on ESPN's "College GameDay" since the show's inception in 1987, will be retiring at the start of the upcoming season.

Corso's retirement also marks the conclusion of his iconic "headgear picks," a tradition he started in 1996. Over the past 29 years, the former football coach has made a total of 430 headgear picks, selecting which team he believes will win a given matchup by donning the mascot's head. Remarkably, Corso has maintained a 66.5% win rate with his headgear selections, a testament to his keen football expertise.

Corso's first-ever headgear pick came in 1996 when the "College GameDay" crew was in Columbus for an Ohio State vs. Penn State game. Corso, who was nearly a decade into his analyst career at the time, donned the Buckeyes' "Brutus Buckeye" mascot head to make his selection, and Ohio State went on to win the game 38-7.

As Corso prepares to make his final headgear pick for the Texas vs. Ohio State matchup in August 2025, college football fans across the country will undoubtedly be reminiscing about the countless memorable moments he has provided over the years. While the tradition may be coming to an end, Corso's legacy as one of the sport's most beloved personalities will undoubtedly live on.