Lee Corso’s ultimate mascot headgear decide for “School GameDay” will come at Ohio State, the place all of it started.
ESPN’s flagship faculty soccer present will go to Columbus, Ohio, in Week 1, the place the Buckeyes will face Texas in what is predicted to be a top-five matchup. ESPN stated in April that the 89-year-old Corso would retire after Week 1 of the upcoming season, giving him a celebratory sendoff, nevertheless it didn’t identify the placement. There was some hypothesis the present might go to the Florida State-Alabama recreation, as Corso performed at FSU within the Nineteen Fifties alongside actor Burt Reynolds (and since Ohio State-Texas shall be broadcast on Fox).
📍 Week 1: Columbus, OH
We’re kicking off School GameDay with a visit to Texas-Ohio State, as we rejoice Lee Corso’s ultimate present again the place he first made headgear historical past! 🤩 pic.twitter.com/FtOLmXPXKB
— School GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) June 10, 2025
However the present will ship Corso off the place the headgear picks started. Whereas Corso has been on the present since its inception in 1987, his first mascot decide got here at Ohio State in 1996 for the Buckeyes’ recreation towards Penn State.
Corso has made 430 headgear picks, from Buckeyes to animals to helmets to full-on costumes. He’s appropriately picked 66.5 p.c of these selections, in response to ESPN, together with an ideal 11-0 in 1999. Brutus Buckeye has been the most well-liked decide, chosen 45 instances, with Alabama simply behind at 38.
“When it was our recreation, I used to be at all times hoping he didn’t decide us,” Nick Saban stated in April, “as a result of I knew the gamers have been watching and I needed reverse rat poison.”
Coach Lee Corso by the numbers 🤯
🐻 430 mascot headgear picks🏈 66.5% win price of picks all-time🏆 Excellent season = 1999
Extra on LC’s 38 years on @CollegeGameDay: https://t.co/RpjhSPhmQJ pic.twitter.com/nY3hoTDbSm
— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) April 17, 2025
“My household and I shall be eternally indebted for the chance to be a part of ESPN and ‘School GameDay’ for almost 40 years,” Corso stated in a information launch in April. “I’ve a treasure of many associates, fond reminiscences and a few uncommon experiences to take with me into retirement.”
(Photograph: Adam Cairns / Columbus Dispatch / USA Right this moment Community through Imagn Pictures)
