Where is Lee Corso? Explaining ESPN's 'College GameDay' analyst's absence for Week Zero show

ESPN "College GameDay" analyst Lee Corso has been on the pregame show since its inception in 1987 and is the only member from the original cast still covering college football. Corso has become renowned for his famous headgear pick and edgy analysis.

As "College GameDay" prepares to broadcast for the first time from outside the country during the Week Zero clash pitting the Florida State Seminoles against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, Corso will not be available.

The Week Zero clash will be held at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland, and due to his age (89 years old) and the aftereffects of a stroke in 2009, it was revealed by Sporting News that Lee Corso would not make the grueling trip to Ireland. However, he would be present for the Week One clash in College Station pitting Texas A&M against Notre Dame.

Lee Corso continues 'GameDay' role despite health concerns

Lee Corso suffered a stroke in 2009 that caused partial paralysis, which has caused him to take a limited role in ESPN's beloved "College GameDay," but he has continued to appear in the pregame show.

In 2022, he missed five games due to his health, and he no longer appears for the entire three-hour duration of the show.

During an appearance on "The Mental Game" podcast, Corso's co-host Kirk Herbstreit revealed that the elderly analyst was still as sharp as ever despite scripting his appearances on the show and occasionally struggling with his speech.

"I think a lot of people watch him, and they see him tripping on his words, and they think, 'Oh, that son of a b-tch, he's so old, why is he still there?'" Herbstreit said. "And I'm like, 'If you only knew, his cognitive mind is as sharp as ever. He struggles sometimes getting the words out.

"We've gone from one extreme where I'm just looking up at him like, 'What do I do?' And you, becoming his equal, I guess, for many years and now just trying to help him any way I can."

Last year, amid speculation that he would retire, he reaffirmed his commitment to the show in an interview with GQ despite being 89.

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

"College GameDay" fans have become used to seeing Lee Corso make his headgear picks, and they will hope that he sticks around for a while yet as the one staple of the beloved pregame show.