Not So Fast: Lee Corso's Final Appearance On College Gameday Takes Him Back To Where It All Started

The final appearance of Lee Corso on ESPN's College Gameday will take place in a spot that holds a special place in his heart. It was announced on Tuesday that the college football pregame show will broadcast from Columbus, as Ohio State and Texas will battle in a week one blockbuster matchup. 

The highly-anticipated showdown will feature Arch Manning leading the Longhorns into a hostile environment, as the Buckeyes will start their 2025 season as defending national champions. 

It was announced that Lee Corso will officially retire from the show after 38 years of delivering his expertise and hilarious moments to college football fans across the country. This broadcast is set to be one of the biggest productions that ESPN has delivered in quite some time, given that it will be the last time we see Corso don the headgear. 

"My family and I will be forever indebted to be part of ESPN and College Gameday for nearly 40 years," Corso said in a statement. "I have the treasure of many friends, fond memories and some unusual experiences to take with me into retirement."

Obviously, this will be a special moment for Corso, given that the first time he put on the headgear, it was ‘Brutus’ the Buckeyes mascot that he chose. From that moment on, he became a fixture on Saturday mornings, closing out each show with his headgear selection that had crowds cheering, and booing, his choice of props. 

While we will certainly miss seeing him on television every Saturday during the season, this comes at the perfect time for Corso, who has battled health issues in recent years. 

FOX, ESPN Both Broadcasting From Ohio State Versus Texas

This will also be an interesting battle between the two networks. FOX will produce its ‘Big Noon Kickoff’ from Ohio State as well, which will add to the spectacle that will take place in Columbus. Due to the contract with FOX, the game will kickoff at noon, which did not sit well with Ohio State fans when the game was announced. 

While the Buckeyes tried to have the game moved to Sunday night, the Texas Longhorns vetoed that move, given that they had the right to decline any movement of the game. 

Now, there will be a battle for television ratings taking place three hours before kickoff inside Ohio Stadium. Thankfully, for college football fans, both shows do a fantastic job of making you feel like you're actually there, and I have no doubt that this opening weekend will bring out the best in both networks. 

The fascinating part of ESPN's decision to hold its show in Columbus is that it will not be broadcasting from either the Alabama versus Florida State game, or the showdown between LSU and Clemson. 

Choosing a location where it does not have the rights to televise the game is an interesting tactic, though we've seen this plenty of times in the past. 

But, for Lee Corso's final game, I would imagine the folks at ESPN decided to end his career where it all began. For that, it should be a special moment.