College Football Fans Celebrating Lee Corso On 91st Birthday
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The legendary Lee Corso is being celebrated by college football fans all over the country this Friday – and for good reason. The founder of the "College GameDay" headgear picks just turned 91.
Corso played quarterback at Florida State from 1953-1957 before eventually becoming the head coach of Louisville's football program in 1969. He finished his coaching career with a 73-85-6 record. In 1987, ESPN hired him as an analyst for "College GameDay." That turned out to be one of the smartest decisions the network ever made.
For the past four years, Corso has been the face of "College GameDay." He has found ways to keep fans entertained and informed due to his charisma and iconic headgear picks. That being said, he retired from the show after last year's episode on Aug. 30.
“My family and I will be forever indebted for the opportunity to be part of ESPN and College GameDay for nearly 40 years,” Corso said. “I have a treasure of many friends, fond memories and some unusual experiences to take with me into retirement.”
Even though Corso is no longer in the national spotlight, he received plenty of heartwarming messages on his 91st birthday.
"Happy 'not so fast, my friend!' to the great Mr. Corso," one fan said.
"Happy 91st birthday to a true college football icon," a second fan wrote on X. "One of the most beloved figures the sport has ever seen."
"Happy birthday to the goat," another fan commented.
A true college football legend.
Countless people in the industry, including Nick Saban and Kirk Herbstreit, have raved about Corso and the impact he's made on college football.
“The one thing I think Lee Corso did — and he did it with such grace — is he brought entertainment to this business,” Saban said, via On3. “We used to just watch games, and people would call the game. But he made it entertaining, which is what you do and what we all have an opportunity to do for the fans. He made it better for the fans. It was more enjoyable. He’s got a great personality. What he did for the entertainment side of this business, to me, is his greatest contribution to college sports. I don’t think people fully realize the value of that.”
“Coach Corso has had an iconic run in broadcasting, and we’re all lucky to have been around to witness it,” Herbstreit said in a statement. “He has taught me so much throughout our time together, and he’s been like a second father to me. It has been my absolute honor to have the best seat in the house to watch Coach put on that mascot head each week.”
We're wishing Coach Corso all the best on his special day.
This story was originally published by The Spun on Aug 7, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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