Two months after ESPN first announced that Lee Corso will co-host one final episode of College GameDay before retiring, we now know where that highly anticipated episode will take place.
Taking to social media on Tuesday, the Worldwide Leader announced that Corso’s final episode of College GameDay will occur in Columbus, Ohio, ahead of Ohio State’s Week 1 matchup against Texas on Aug. 30.
📍 Week 1: Columbus, OH
We’re kicking off College GameDay with a trip to Texas-Ohio State, as we celebrate Lee Corso’s final show back where he first made headgear history! 🤩 pic.twitter.com/FtOLmXPXKB
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) June 10, 2025
While multiple locations stood out as potential destinations for Corso’s final GameDay episode — including his alma mater, Florida State, which will host Alabama on the same day — Ohio State always seemed like the most obvious choice. In addition to Columbus being a regular destination for the ESPN college football morning pregame show throughout Corso’s career, it was also the first place he made his signature headgear pick, donning a Brutus Buckeye mascot head to predict that Ohio State would beat Penn State in 1996.
On top of the former Indiana coach’s personal history in Ohio’s capital city, the matchup between the defending national champion Buckeyes and quarterback Arch Manning and the Longhorns stands out as the most highly touted matchup of college football’s Week 1 slate. As opposed to Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff — which will also air live from Columbus on Aug. 30 — College GameDay has traditionally picked its destinations based on the best matchup regardless of whether ESPN is airing the game or not.
In the months since Lee Corso first announced his impending retirement, there have been no shortage of tributes to the 89-year-old analyst. And that figures to only continue in the weeks ahead, culminating with Corso co-hosting one final episode of GameDay, where he’ll have the opportunity to bring his signature segment full circle.
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.