Is Lee Corso returning to ESPN College Gameday in 2024? All we know about 88-year-old analyst’s availability

Lee Corso has, over time, been a staple of ESPN’s College GameDay show. The sports broadcaster has been a member of the pre-game show since its inception in 1987. However, considering his age and the introduction of Nick Saban to the GameDay team, there are doubts about his return in 2024.

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Is Lee Corso returning to ESPN’s College GameDay in 2024?

Despite Nick Saban joining the College GameDay crew, Lee Corso will remain a member of the show for the 2024 college football season. Despite the age of the veteran analyst and former coach, ESPN has no plan to remove him from the pre-game show just yet.

"For those of you who wanted clarity on Nick Saban as it relates to Lee Corso. An ESPN Spokesperson confirms: Corso will be back on College GameDay next year," The Athletic's Richard Deitsch reported in February following the hiring of Nick Saban.

It means fans will once again see Corso make his picks on the show by donning the headgear of schools’ mascots in the upcoming season. The mascot headgear prediction, which started in October 1996, has become a core tradition of the show that will continue after him.

College GameDay host Rece Davis also gave an update on Lee Corso’s return to the show in May. On the "College GameDay Podcast," Davis reminisced about a trip by the crew to Chicago where they put on an impromptu version of the show with Corso taking part.

"Fun, quick trip to Chicago," Davis said. "Good to see LC. He was rolling and in great spirits and great health. We had a really, really good time."

Corso, who turns 89 before the resumption of the 2024 college football season, is also refusing to step down from his role in the pre-game show. He told GQ magazine last year that he would continue to hang on even if there's pressure coming his way to back down.

"I'm gonna be like that guy in Vaudeville," Corso told GQ magazine. "They hook him around the neck, and they pull him off the stage as he keeps talking."

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The possibility of a reduced role in 2024

While Lee Corso will remain a part of College GameDay in 2024, his role on the show might be reduced considering his age and health factors. That could see Nick Saban get more airtime on the show as he makes his debut as a crew member next season.

Nonetheless, Corso is expected to keep the mascot headgear prediction role on the show. College GameDay makes its first trip outside the United States next season as the Week 0 edition will be held at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland.