Where have you gone, Lee Corso? College football fans falling out of love with Saturday pregame shows

Where have you gone, Lee Corso? College football fans falling out of love with Saturday pregame shows

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Where have you gone, Lee Corso? College football fans falling out of love with Saturday pregame shows
Dave Portnoy, Lee Corso, Pat McAfee
Credit: USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect, ESPN, FS1

“I miss when this show was about an old guy putting on funny mascot heads.”

That comment came from an X user quoting a video of ESPN’s College GameDay on Saturday. Specifically, a clip of Mississippi Army National Guard helicopters flying overhead as analyst Pat McAfee says, “We certainly appreciate the hell out of the American military. And if you’re not the United States of America and you hear that sound, your a** better run.”

It was a moment emblematic of GameDay’s recent transformation and a comment that seemed to speak for many college football fans about what they watch Saturday mornings on both ESPN and Fox.

GameDay’s evolution was already underway when Lee Corso retired at the beginning of last season. The only remaining member of the show’s original incarnation, Corso became the heart and soul of the Saturday morning program as it grew from its studio-based origins into the on-campus tailgate party it became.

As the show became one of ESPN’s iconic programs, Corso became the personification of what it represented: Fun, excitement, and the driving heartbeat of the sport. The former coach quite literally embodied the spirit of college football, ending each show by donning the mascot head of the team he picked to win that day’s big game, providing the perfect complement to the show’s smart analysis and perspective.

Unlike similar broadcasters who became living memes, like Dick Vitale or Bill Walton, Corso rarely got in over his head with social media takes and agenda-setting opinions. He was there to talk about college football games, say some catchphrases, wag his pencil, kiss a helmet, and don a mascot head or two. And college football fans loved it.

As the Sunshine Scooter’s age and health caught up with him, GameDay’s heart and soul had to step aside and make room for the show’s future. That arrived in the form of Nick Saban and Pat McAfee. The former brought unparalleled coaching acumen while the latter brought an infectious energy that kickstarted a new era. All of that has been reflected in the show’s ratings, which have never been better.

Purposefully or coincidentally, the arrival of Saban and McAfee also ushered in a new sensibility that GameDay has carried forward. One that often sets aside Corso’s playful banter for pointed criticism, sky-is-falling commentary, weird fanbase feuds, and the insertion of overtly political segments. There’s a palpable sense that Saban, McAfee, and Kirk Herbstreit often come in with an agenda and use their platform to speak it into existence.

Meanwhile, Fox created Big Noon Kickoffas an alternative for college football fans on Saturday mornings. And for a moment there, they were onto something, challenging ESPN and GameDay for ratings supremacy more than a few times. However, Fox seems to have taken its foot off the gas in recent years, opting instead to focus on hyping up its Big Noon Saturday and Big Ten offerings at the expense of appealing to a wider college football audience.

The obvious indicator of that decision is Dave Portnoy, who joined the show last year as a part-time contributor. Portnoy is, in many ways, the anti-Corso. Whereas Corso’s energy was infectious and uplifting, Portnoy’s energy is all about controversy and anger. While Corso’s catchphrases and game picks could get you hyped for any college team, Portnoy is constantly reminding you that your team stinks and his team rules. When the camera would cut to Corso, you smiled. When the camera cuts to Portnoy, you roll your eyes.

Portnoy isn’t there by chance. You can draw a straight line between him and McAfee in terms of why they’re both there. While their styles and uses differ, they represent the same thing. Loud, outspoken, red-coded talking heads who appeal to 18-35 male audiences and what they apparently want. And while there is more to both shows than their antics, there’s a palpable sense that both programs are bending toward them in ways both obvious and not.

None of this is random and, by all accounts, this is what audiences are telling ESPN and Fox they want. And yet, the cumulative effect of these shows remaking themselves into conference-jingoism ecosystems and agenda platforms led by loud, obnoxious personalities seems to be taking its toll on college football fans who just want to watch a show about college football.

Opinions vary, of course, and ESPN can point to the ratings at any time to prove why their strategy is working. As for Fox, we know they’ve got no problem with any of it, even if the Barstool partnership hasn’t turned into ratings success.

Setting ratings aside for a second, it’s hard not to see how “Barstoolification,” as some have called it, has infected both shows, mirroring the harshness of the larger media ecosystem that currently exists in America. Fun and enjoyment take a backseat to shock, awe, and an “if you don’t like it, change the channel” mentality.

In Lee Corso’s day, it was about putting a smile on your face. Now, GameDay and Big Noon Kickoff seem more interested in rubbing your nose in it.

The post Where have you gone, Lee Corso? College football fans falling out of love with Saturday pregame shows appeared first on Awful Announcing.

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