ESPN's Bold Move: The Unexpected Replacement of College GameDay Icon Lee Corso

As a seasoned sports writer, who’s been through all the Google algorithm changes and still managed to come out on top in the SEO game, I’ve seen legends come and go. The latest to announce his retirement is none other than Lee Corso, the iconic figure behind ESPN’s “College GameDay.” But here’s the million-dollar question: what will become of his beloved mascot headgear picks?! After entertaining us with perfect moments like Kirk Herbstreit’s family life ( Meet The Wife Of Kirk Herbstreit (1:13) ), the thought of another commentator in that head-gear is…well, it’s peculiar to say the least!

“College GameDay” just wouldn’t be the same without Corso’s quirky charm, and frankly, neither would my blog! So, how do you replace an end on campus – or in this case, the end zone – worthy moment? Let’s dive in and see what ESPN might have up their sleeve, or should we say, in their rehearsal room?

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Is ESPN going to replace Lee Corso’s iconic “College GameDay” headgear pick segment now that the legendary analyst is retiring?

The 89-year-old ESPN college football analyst announced this week that he will be retiring at the start of the 2025 season. Corso, who has been working for ESPN since the 1980s, will do one final show in late August. Then, he’ll call it a career.

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

Corso added: “ESPN has been exceptionally generous to me, especially these past few years. They accommodated me and supported me, as did my colleagues in the early days of College GameDay. Special thanks to Kirk Herbstreit for his friendship and encouragement. And lest I forget, the fans…truly a blessing to share this with them. ESPN gave me this wonderful opportunity and provided me the support to ensure success. I am genuinely grateful.”

The lovable college football analyst is best known for his mascot headgear picks, which he does at the end of the final hour of the show. Now that Corso is retiring, will ESPN have someone else do it instead?

It doesn’t sound like it.

ESPN host Rece Davis made it clear that the headgear pick segment should retire with Corso.

“I think I’m going to have to tackle anybody that tries to do a headgear pick, other than Lee Corso,” Davis told CNN’s Kaitlin Collins. “That, to me, is his signature moment and it should stay with him, in my judgment.

“And I will fight very hard not to be overruled or vetoed on that. Because many people tell me that it’s something that they look forward to every week. And I think that is his and his alone.”

Rece Davis on the future of the headgear pick: "I think I'm going to have to tackle anybody that tries to do a headgear pick … that to me is his signature moment and it should stay with him." https://t.co/Khp2KYPf0x pic.twitter.com/YFza0Hh3FM

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) April 18, 2025

It’s the right choice by ESPN.

While it will be weird to have “College GameDay” without a mascot headgear pick, it would be even weirder to have it with someone else doing the segment. It would feel forced and inferior to what we had before.

ESPN’s college football pregame show has been on the rise in recent years, thanks to the additions of Pat McAfee and Nick Saban. The show doesn’t need the mascot headgear pick segment to thrive. Perhaps the show will come up with something fun and new moving forward.

For now, though, it’s good to hear that the show is letting the mascot headgear pick segment retire with Corso. It’s what should be done.