During the Josh Pate College Football Show, host and college football analyst Pate shared his experiences with Lee Corso and honored everything that made him great.
Josh Pate Lauds Lee Corso for Authenticity and Realness As Icon Announces Retirement
College Gameday is one of the most popular sports television events. Numerous viral and memorable moments have resulted from it, with most—if not all—including the legendary Corso.
Corso was a longtime college football coach before deciding to pursue broadcast television in 1987. At over 50 years old, he was placed on the original set of College Gameday, beginning a generational run as one of the most likable sports analysts in recent memory.
His headgear picks became a must-watch for every college football fan — it was often the talk of the morning, whichever team Corso had picked.
He stayed with the Gameday crew until the present day. Recently, it was announced that he would retire following Week 1 of the 2025 college football season.
The support and memories came quickly after his retirement announcement.
Pate was one of many to give his respects.
Imagine telling Lee Corso at age 50 that despite having played & coached football for 32 years his most impactful 3 decades on the sport were still to come pic.twitter.com/JN25cfPVHW
— Josh Pate (@JoshPateCFB) April 18, 2025
“Think about how hard it is to stay relevant doing anything for this long — and yet Lee Corso has,” Pate began. “He loves the sport now, just as much as he did when he played it all those years ago.”
All that we love about tradition, pageantry, and the fact that you, just by being yourself, are an integral part woven into the DNA of many in their college football lifetimes. It’s a huge testament; the staying power is a huge testament to who he is. You can’t fake that for that long, especially to that crowd — the college football crowd. You don’t fake it for that long.”
KEEP READING: Lee Corso Retires at 89: Desmond Howard Shares Unforgettable College GameDay Story
He put a bow on top of it, giving the ultimate compliment.
“Lee Corso is many things,” Pate said. “Fake is not one of them. His authentic self — it appealed.”
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