Last week, Lee Corso didn’t make the cross-country trip to Cal for ESPN College GameDay’s Week 6 show. Despite updates that he would return soon, Corso is missing a second-straight broadcast in Week 7.
The pregame show is set to kick off in Eugene, Oregon, at one of Corso’s favorite environments with a matchup between the Oregon Ducks and the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Corso is now in his 38th season with College GameDay, and at 89 years old, it’s clear he’s lost a step, but he’s still one of the faces of the show, which is loved by college football fans.
With his absence starting to make headlines, co-host Reece Davis mentioned, “He’s not going to be here this week. He’s doing better. He’s been a little bit under the weather for the last couple of weeks. I talked to him earlier and he said he was sorry he is missing his best friend, The Duck.”
Corso has dealt with some lingering health issues recently but announced late last year that he would return to College GameDay in Year 38.
“I’m gonna be like that guy in Vaudeville,” Corso said during a 2023 GQ feature. “They hook him around the neck, and they pull him off the stage as he keeps talking.”
Corso suffered partial paralysis after a stroke in 2009, and other medical events had led to sporadic appearances in recent years. During the 2022 season, Corso missed five shows and is no longer featured during the entire broadcast.
Corso’s headgear pick to end the broadcast remains one of the most popular segments of any sports show as the longtime broadcaster donned his 400th headgear this past season.
Oregon hosts Ohio State at 6:30 p.m. CT. Meanwhile, the Big 12 will get its Week 7 slate underway on Friday night with a key matchup between No. 16 Utah and Arizona State. The game should be one of the most-watched games of the weekend, with veteran quarterback Cam Rising’s first return to action since Week 2.
