Kentucky Fans Honor Lee Corso: The Heartbeat of College Football Bids Farewell

In August 2025, Lee Corso—an enduring icon of college football—will step onto the College GameDay stage for one final curtain call. At 90 years old, with a smile that’s lit up fall Saturdays since 1987, Corso will don one last mascot head in his signature style before officially retiring. In Kentucky and beyond, fans will raise their cups in tribute, knowing the sport will never feel quite the same without him.

Corso wasn’t just a broadcaster—he was the pulse of college football. “My family and I will always be grateful,” he shared in a heartfelt statement through ESPN, “for nearly four decades with College GameDay.” With humility and warmth, he recalled friends, moments, and wild adventures—but for fans, he was the moment. The favorite uncle who’d surprise you with an underdog pick. The legend who turned football into storytelling.

Across Lexington, where blue-and-white banners wave proudly, Corso’s retirement feels deeply personal. Fans didn’t just watch him—they felt him. They laughed at his antics, shouted at his picks, but always tuned in. Photos flood social media: snapshots of Corso in all kinds of mascot gear—sometimes even Kentucky’s own Wildcat. Each image is a tribute to a man who stitched himself into the soul of college football.

Reece Davis called him a pioneer. “Lee showed us the beauty of joy in sports,” he said. Before Corso, coverage was clinical—nothing but stats and strategy. But Lee? He brought color. He brought laughter. He brought heart. Whether he fumbled a mascot’s name or danced in a goofy hat, he reminded us the game was supposed to be fun.

Stephen A. Smith didn’t mince words: “Lee Corso is the soul of College GameDay.” And Kirk Herbstreit echoed the sentiment: “You’ll be missed more than you’ll ever know.” For nearly 30 years, since he first put on that whimsical mascot head in 1996, Corso has been the spirit of Saturday mornings. In places like Kentucky, where football is tradition, Corso made the tradition feel alive.

His final GameDay show airs August 30, just weeks after his 90th birthday. While ESPN will surely craft a tribute fitting of a legend, the true farewell lives in fans’ hearts. It’s the silence where his voice once was. The Saturdays that feel a little emptier. The memories of a man who made us laugh, cheer, and fall in love with the game again and again.

“I’ve got a treasure,” Corso once said. And it’s true. But so do we. Because Lee Corso didn’t just talk about football—he brought us into its very soul. To Kentucky fans and millions more, Lee wasn’t just the heart of college football. He was its home.