Considering his age and recent history of health issues, Lee Corso’s future on ESPN’s College GameDay has been the subject of speculation in recent years.
But as the 2023 college football season comes to a close, the former Indiana coach has no plans to leave the show that he has been a staple of since its inception in 1987.
“I’m gonna be like that guy in Vaudeville,” Corso told Alex Kirshner in a profile published in GQ on Thursday. “They hook him around the neck, and they pull him off the stage as he keeps talking.”
The feeling appears to be mutual. In his reporting, Kirshner added, “I have not yet found an ESPN or GameDay staffer who does not want Corso around in perpetuity.”
While the speculation regarding the 88-year-old Corso’s future on the show is only natural considering his age, the questions have been amplified as he continues to deal with the aftermath of a stroke that he suffered in 2009. During the 2022 season, he missed a total of five episodes of the show due to an undisclosed health issue.
ESPN has reduced Corso’s workload as he no longer appears in every segment of GameDay, but he remains a staple of ESPN’s flagship college football show with each episode still ending with him putting on his signature mascot head. As detailed by Kirshner, one of the biggest keys to Corso’s longevity has been the on-set help provided by co-host Kirk Herbstreit, as the two have reversed roles from when their on-air partnership first began nearly three decades ago.
“I don’t want to ever make it look like he needs help or ever make it look like he’s struggling,” said Herbstreit, who credits Corso with helping him when he was just breaking into broadcasting. “So I just try to do whatever I can subtly to just try to be there for him.”
Despite the co-hosts around them having changed on multiple occasions, Corso and Herbstreit have remained GameDay‘s two constants since the latter’s addition to the show in 1996. And while it’s hard to imagine what a post-Corso GameDay might look like, the “Sunshine Scooter” has made it clear that as long as he’s alive, he’ll have some sort of presence on the show he’s become synonymous with.
[GQ]
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.