In the weeks since Lee Corso retired from ESPN and College GameDay after nearly four decades as the face of Saturday morning sports television, Pat McAfee has seized the mantle of being the centerpiece of the show and its closer.
That was made clear this weekend in Miami, where McAfee provided the finale for GameDay by leaping off the Olympic high-dive at the outdoor pool at “The U.” It was a performance made from the same cloth as Corso’s many iconic moments on-air, with McAfee ingratiating himself into the campus community and pushing the boundaries of sports television while staying true to the extreme passion around college football.
It turns out that Corso himself agrees. In a video released by McAfee early Sunday morning, the legendary Corso called McAfee to congratulate him on a great show from South Florida and officially pass the torch.
“Great job, that was terrific,” Corso tells McAfee in the video. “It was great and I really enjoyed it, and I wanted to let you know that I passed this torch onto a great guy.”
After GameDay, I hopped in my bus to head to the airport to get back to Indy for #WrestlePalooza
I got a call from an icon who was pumped I didn’t get electrocuted 😂😂
I’m so thankful and lucky to get to do what I do.. THANKS FOR PAVING THE WAY COACH CORSO
On the wall behind… https://t.co/d2KuvjCNQi pic.twitter.com/TQqDyu49ck
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) September 21, 2025
Clearly Corso is still watching GameDay at home and cares deeply about the show living on among fans. While McAfee’s pro wrestling-style promos and athletic feats may not be exactly the same as Corso’s famed headgear picks or other gimmicks over his run on GameDay, Corso clearly sees a kindred spirit.
And the longtime ESPNer believes the show is in good hands with McAfee at its core.
About Brendon Kleen
Brendon is a Media Commentary staff writer at Awful Announcing. He has also covered basketball and sports business at Front Office Sports, SB Nation, Uproxx and more.