Nick Saban praises Lee Corso ahead of final College GameDay show

Nick Saban is preparing to share the desk with Lee Corso one final time on ESPN’s College GameDay this Saturday. The show will be live from Columbus ahead of the Texas–Ohio State matchup.

Before all the pomp and circumstance, Saban reflected on what Corso has meant to him and to college football as a whole. He recalled their days coaching against each other and how their relationship has evolved over the decades.

“The one thing I think Lee Corso did — and he did it with such grace — is he brought entertainment to this business,” Saban stated, via The Pat McAfee Show. “We used to just watch games, and people would call the game. But he made it entertaining, which is what you do and what we all have an opportunity to do for the fans. He made it better for the fans. It was more enjoyable. He’s got a great personality.

“I still remember when I was playing at Kent State. We had Jack Lambert, and we played his Louisville team. They had Howard Stevens, Tom Jackson, and all these guys — a really, really good team — and they beat the shit out of us. So I know him from the coach’s side, too. I played against him, and I saw what he did at Indiana. We faced them when I was here at Ohio State as well.

“But what he did for the entertainment side of this business, to me, is his greatest contribution to college sports. I don’t think people fully realize the value of that.”

Corso will surely be missed on College GameDay. Saban, along with Pat McAfee, will continue to carry the torch. McAfee also shared heartfelt words about Corso in response to Saban’s praise.

“I think college football is on a rocket ship, obviously, because of the tradition, the pageantry, and the game itself — football is the greatest sport on Earth. But when you look at what Lee Corso did, how he helped grow College GameDay and, in turn, college football’s popularity, he was a driving force behind so much of it. His face is synonymous with the sport,” McAfee said.

“Getting a chance to watch him work these last couple of years has been an honor. He’s been incredibly kind to me. And even before that, just as a fan watching him, I loved how he wasn’t afraid to go there, to spin it up and mix it up a little bit. That’s what makes it different.

“And it’s not just me who benefited from that. You think about everybody. Charles Barkley, for example, is someone I look up to in this business because of how he speaks his mind, the way he delivers, and how he entertains every single time he talks. To me, Lee Corso and Charles Barkley are right there together — on the Mount Rushmore of sports entertainment. Tomorrow’s going to be a really sweet day honoring him.”

Corso’s final College GameDay is set to be both a celebration and an emotional farewell. With Saban and McAfee alongside him, it promises to be a show fans won’t want to miss.