Lee Corso Takes Unique Route to Send College Football Fans a Message
After an incredible 38-year run on ESPN's College GameDay, it was announced on April 17 that the widely beloved Lee Corso would officially be retiring from the popular college football pregame show.
While it's completely understandable for the 89-year-old to be calling it quits from the three-hour marathon of a program, the announcement by ESPN did come with a great catch.
Corso's retirement will not be officially official until Week 1 of the 2025 college football season, a Saturday morning that should prove to be extra memorable in marking his final appearance on College GameDay.
With the outpouring of appreciation and respect among fellow ESPN colleagues like Rece Davis, along with countless heartfelt messages from fans, Corso phoned in a special request to Kirk Herbstreit since he does not use social media.
Ya gotta know our guy doesn’t have a computer let alone social media…haha…so I called him just now to make sure he knew how much the CFB community has been pouring out their love for him..as we talked about other things we were about to hang up and he said “hey Kirk can you put… pic.twitter.com/qtvQkF9IYH
— Kirk Herbstreit (@KirkHerbstreit) April 18, 2025
"Ya gotta know our guy [Corso] doesn’t have a computer let alone social media…haha," Herbstreit's post on X began. "So I called him just now to make sure he knew how much the CFB community has been pouring out their love for him. As we talked about other things we were about to hang up and he said 'hey Kirk can you put up on your Facebook or Twitter or whatever it is how much I appreciate all the well wishes-it really means a lot to me.'"
It makes perfect sense that Herbstreit, who has been sitting right next to Corso on the GameDay set for years now—with a pretty clear, outward adoration for the former head coach—would be the one tasked with getting out the message.
The 55-year-old Herbstreit went on wrap up the message by giving a little backstory behind the outstanding photo that was included in the post.
"Our guy Scotty Clark (legendary photographer for ESPN) took this last year at the Rose Bowl—took a few takes and more than a couple laughs from LC [Lee Corso] and I but turned out beautifully."
Given the routine banter on the College GameDay set, week in and week out during any given season, it's relatively easy to envision the photo of this duo requiring more than a few takes and absolutely paired with some laughs.
Related: Rece Davis Breaks Silence on Lee Corso's Retirement Decision
Related: Kirk Herbstreit Sends Strong Message to Lee Corso After ESPN Announcement