Ad Disclosure
Scott Van Pelt reflects on Lee Corso’s legacy with heartfelt tribute
By Paul Harvey
Published:
ESPN confirmed on Thursday that longtime “College GameDay” host Lee Corso is officially hanging it up, and Scott Van Pelt was ready to reflect on his legacy.
After a long-running career as a staple of the show, Corso will make his final appearance at the start of the 2025 season. It will feature his final headgear pick after serving as a staple of the college football season for decades.
During his Thursday night “SportsCenter” show, SVP took the chance to honor the former head coach and popular host for his iconic headgear segment that was revered by fans far and wide. According to Van Pelt, Corso’s headgear segment was one of the last moments truly made for live television in the growing era of streaming and DVR capabilities.
“For nearly 30 years, no matter where you were in the fall, if you loved college football, you had one duty. Not an obligation, but a place you had to be just before noon eastern: in front of your TV to see who is Lee going to pick,” explained Van Pelt. “If you think about it, in this time of DVRs, that moment became the last thing you truly had to see live as it happened, because it’s magic. It’s electric. And watching it later would have been — I don’t know — cheating, somehow.
“It was coach, the man who gracefully aged into becoming everyone’s dad, then grandpa, and beloved friend. You wanted him to pick your team, of course. But, somehow, it was even more fun when he reeled you in and then went heel.”
Here is SVP’s full tribute with the rest of the college football world weighing in recently on the decision:
RELATED: Don’t miss out on any of the sports betting action all year long. Grab the Maryland sports betting apps to get started today.
Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.