Lee Corso turned 91 in August and has stayed largely out of public view since his final College GameDay headgear pick in 2025, leaving former ESPN colleagues as the main source of updates on his health.
His longtime GameDay partner, ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit, told Us Weekly in September that Corso has “a lot of physical ailments that he’s been dealing with, but his mind is incredible.”
How is Lee Corso doing now?
Herbstreit flew into Orlando on Aug. 13 for a Citrus Bowl appearance, an event Corso worked for 25 years, and the Lake Mary resident drove through a thunderstorm to meet him at the airport.
“When he cried, it made me cry,” Herbstreit said. “Because he’s my guy.”
Herbstreit didn’t name a specific diagnosis, but he made clear the physical problems haven’t dulled Corso’s football mind.
“We’d all be lucky to have such cognitive thinking at 91,” Herbstreit said. “His eyes are sharp. He’s dialed in. He’s just going through some stuff that makes it tough on him.”
Lee Corso’s health history since 2009
The Cicero, Illinois, native suffered a stroke at his Florida home in May 2009 that caused partial paralysis and left him unable to speak for a month. Still, he returned to the desk and stayed on the show until its 2025 season opener in Columbus, Ohio.
Absences piled up late in that run, including back-to-back missed shows in October 2024, when host Rece Davis said, “He’s doing better. He’s been a little bit under the weather for the last couple of weeks.”
Two months later, Davis told viewers during conference championship weekend that Corso “had a procedure this week” before adding, “He’s doing great.”
GameDay is now in its 40th season, and it’s the first without Corso on a single episode.
Where and when has Corso appeared since retiring?
The former Indiana coach returned to Florida State, his alma mater, in October 2025 for a reunion of former Seminoles who played under Tom Nugent. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis awarded him the Governor’s Medal of Freedom that same weekend.
At an Orlando event with Lou Holtz in November 2025, Corso told WESH reporter Daren Stoltzfus that retirement had been “Lousy. I hate it.” He also said, “It sucks.”
The Florida State alum skipped the national championship game in Miami in January and watched from home as Indiana beat the Hurricanes. ESPN reporter Jen Lada said Corso was “obviously THRILLED” about the Hoosiers’ trip.
ESPN broadcaster Dick Vitale posted a photo with Corso on Feb. 17 from a celebration of life for former NBA coach Richie Adubato and wrote that Corso “looks fab.”
The August airport visit with Herbstreit came six months later, and Herbstreit wrote afterward that Corso “looks and sounds amazing.”
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