Lee Corso’s long “College GameDay” run has come to an end.
After 38 years on the air, Corso made his final appearance on the ESPN show ahead of Saturday’s heavyweight matchup between No. 1 Texas and No. 3 Ohio State in Columbus.
Corso, who turned 90 earlier this month, has long been a beloved staple of the network’s college football coverage as one of the original on-air personalities of the “College GameDay” crew.
On Saturday, Corso, donning a tuxedo, did his final headgear tradition, in which he dons a mascot’s head to predict the winner of a game.
He picked Ohio State to beat the Texas by throwing on a Brutus Buckeye head.
Corso also selected LSU to win the national title earlier in the show.
The “Gameday” crew honored their colleague by wearing Corso headgear as the crowd raged on.
Corso made 431 picks during his time on the show.
He has worked for the Worldwide Leader since 1987 after 28 years as a coach at the college and professional levels, including 17 seasons as a head coach.
He was alongside Chris Fowler and Craig James for the first “College GameDay” pregame show on ESPN in 1993.
In April, the network announced that Corso would be retiring from the program after one more show.
“My family and I will be forever indebted for the opportunity to be part of ESPN and ‘College GameDay’ for nearly 40 years,” Corso said in a statement released by ESPN.
“I have a treasure of many friends, fond memories and some unusual experiences to take with me into retirement.”
Corso received a warm welcome from fellow air travelers after the Southwest gate attendant announced over the loudspeaker that he was retiring Saturday, getting a round of applause and a bottle of champagne.
Saturday’s show began with the fans chanting, “We love Lee.”
“For my final show, I’m wearing this … to go out in style,” Corso said of his sleek look.
During Saturday’s show, Ohio State coach Ryan Day presented him with a silver Buckeyes helmet with “Coach Corso” written on it.
ESPN also aired a vignette highlighting Corso’s career, while his co-hosts recalled some of their top memories working alongside him.
Celebrities like Charles Barkley and football legends like Bill Belichick also offered well wishes to Corso.