College Football

Lee Corso returns to ‘College GameDay’ after health absence, reveals gutting family reason for cancer pin

Lee Corso made his “College GameDay” return Saturday after missing the past two weeks of the show due to health reasons, and he sent the Texas fans in attendance into a frenzy after picking them to not only defeat Georgia on Saturday but also win the national chꦇampionship.

Before the show, though, in a clip filmed by fellow ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit, Corso also revealed that h🔯e was wearing a pin on the right side of his suit in support of his gওranddaughter — who had a brain tumor removed — and her fight against brain cancer.

Lee Corso returned to “College GameDay” on Oct. 19 after missing the last two weeks. Screengrab via X/@CollegeGameDay
Lee Corso showed the pin he was wearing on Oct. 19 in support
of breast cancer research. Screengrab via X/@KirkHerbstreit

“She’sও all right now,” Corso said in the clip, adding she is in her mid-30s, “but in support of brain cancer and research, I’m wearing this pin.”

Corso, who said he was doing OK when Herbstreit asked, said he missed the shows, which included the one last Saturday in Eugene — which Corso has called his favorite “College GameDay” — before Oregon🧜 hosted Ohio State.

“He’s not going to be her𓂃e this week,” host Rece Davis told reporters before the Oregon show, according to Sports Illustrated. “He’s doing better. He’s been a little bit under the wea🌼ther for the last couple of weeks.”

C♛orso, who has been a staple of the show as an analyst for more than three decades, also missed the previous week’s broadcast from Berkeley before California hosted Miami.

But he was back for Saturday, and in the early portion of the show, D𝐆avis announced Corso’s return and led a round of applཧause from the other analysts from the set.

Cor🦄so then raised his right hand and made a “hook ‘em” signal, which promp🐓ted Herbstreit to remind viewers that Corso picked the Longhorns to win the national championship during the preseason.

Then, Texans fans watching from behind the “College GameDay” set started🐷 chanting his first name.

Lee Corso makes his Texas pick during the “College GameDay” broadcast on Oct. 19. USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Texans entered the weekend at the top of the Associated Press’ most recent✅ rankings, led by quarterback Quinn Ewers — with some Arch Manning cameos mixed in when Ewers was hurt, too — and an offense that has topped 30 points against two top-20 opponents already in 2024.

Georgia will enter Saturday night’s game looking to secure a third consecutive win and holds a victory aꦗgainst a ranked opponent — then-No. 14 Clemson in the opener — this year, too, but they lost their most recent test against a top-five team when the Bulldogs dropped a thriller against Alabama last month.