Lee Corso, who has faced medical challenges and travel difficulties since suffering a stroke in 2009, is now at a point where fans who have long admired him are beginning to feel it may be time for him to retire.
During the College Football Playoff semifinal preview between the Nittany Lions and Fighting Irish, Lee Corso made his usual helmet prediction.
Highlights
- Lee Corso sometimes misses the show due to travel difficulties.
- After suffering partial paralysis from a stroke in 2009, Corso has faced other medical challenges.
- Fans feel that while they’ve always loved Lee Corso and still enjoy hearing his voice, it may be time for him to retire.
As he performed a jig to show his pick for Notre Dame, the 89-year-old analyst nearly lost his balance and almost fell in front of the desk.
Luckily, he was dressed as a leprechaun and dancing with the Notre Dame mascot, who quickly caught him before he hit the ground.
Many people expressed respect for Lee Corso but believed there was no reason for him to still be on the GameDay set. They found it difficult to watch at times.
Others, however, viewed it as something to respect and praised ESPN for keeping him on the show.
They found it admirable that many companies quickly push out the elderly, but Corso still brings purpose and value to the broadcast.
ESPN Backs Up Many More Plans With Lee Corso Despite Him Being Wobbly During Recent Appearances
Corso has a long tradition of Jig with the Notre Dame mascot when predicting a Fighting Irish win.
He did it earlier in the 2023-24 season when he correctly picked Notre Dame to beat Texas A&M in Week 1.
Just watched Lee Corso try and jig with the leprechaun and almost break a hip pic.twitter.com/rQUKPjOUJw
— JT (@cowboyJayT) January 10, 2025
Since joining ESPN in the late 1980s, Corso has been a staple of the network’s college football coverage.
His vibrant personality and famous catchphrases helped make “GameDay” one of history’s most popular pregame shows.
In recent years, his role has been scaled back. Corso sometimes misses the show due to travel difficulties.
Then, in August 2025, Corso will be in his early nineties and will mark another milestone in his long career.
However, due to health issues, primarily from old age, Corso has been featured less during the three-hour broadcast.
He sometimes struggled with incoherence during specific segments and required assistance with his game picks.
After suffering partial paralysis from a stroke in 2009, Corso has faced other medical challenges, leading to fewer appearances in recent years.
Lee Corso can’t even talk, man ESPN is wrong for that, get him off of the air.
— Locally Hated 🏴☠️ (@ItsNotFus) January 9, 2025
During the 2022 season, he missed five shows and was no longer featured for the entire three-hour broadcast.
On the other hand, ESPN president Burke Magnus recently shared plans for Corso in 2025 during an appearance on Sports Illustrated’s podcast.
He explained that they would talk to Corso after the season to see how things were going.
Magnus praised Corso as an icon on the show. After the playoffs, they’ll take some time to figure out what’s next for him in the upcoming season.
On the contrary, people feel that while they’ve always loved Lee Corso and still enjoy hearing his voice, especially when playing old NCAA Football games, it may be time for him to retire.
With him turning 90 this year, many believe it’s time to step away.
This way, they wouldn’t have to worry like they did during the final moments leading up to ESPN’s broadcast of the Orange Bowl between Penn State and Notre Dame.
Additional Information
- Lee Corso was born to Italian immigrant parents, Alessandro and Irma. His father, Alessandro, fled Italy during World War I at 15 and had only a second-grade education.
- At age 10, Corso moved with his family to Miami, where he attended Miami Jackson Senior High School and played quarterback.
- Although he was a promising baseball prospect and received a $5,000 signing bonus to join the Brooklyn Dodgers as a shortstop, he chose to attend college instead.
