The name Lee Corso will forever be synonymous with College GameDay. For decades, he brought joy, anticipation, and theater to Saturday mornings with the simple act of putting on a mascot head. From Buckeyes to Trojans to Ducks, he made the final pick of the show more than just a prediction—it became a cultural touchstone. But for those of us who cover HBCUs closely, there will always be one image that never came to life: Lee Corso wearing the Jackson State tiger head.
In October 2022, Jackson State had the distinction of becoming just the second HBCU to host College GameDay at its home stadium. The energy around Deion Sanders’ program was unlike anything else in college football at the time, and ESPN brought its flagship pregame show to Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium for the matchup between Jackson State and Southern. For HBCUs, it was another chance to be front and center on the national stage. And for Jackson State, it was supposed to be the day that Lee Corso put on the Tiger head.
Corso, of course, had been battling health issues for several years. His appearances on College GameDay had grown less frequent, but word was he would be in Jackson that morning. I had just arrived from the airport and made my way to the stadium to interview the GameDay crew. Reese Davis, Desmond Howard, and the rest of the team were there. But Lee Corso was not.
Inside the bowels of the stadium, someone brought out the tiger head—Jackson State’s symbol—placing it on a table in the press room. That was the moment it became clear what Corso was supposed to do. He was going to pick Jackson State, sliding that head over his shoulders to the roar of fans. But the announcement came down soon after: Corso would not be appearing on the show. Health had once again kept him away. The tiger head sat silently on the table, a reminder of the moment that never came.
Lee Corso and HBCU mascots
It wasn’t the first time Corso had embraced HBCUs. College GameDay made its HBCU debut at Florida A&M years earlier, and Corso gleefully donned the Rattler helmet in Tallahassee—just miles from where he once starred as a defensive back at Florida State. In 2021, when GameDay traveled to Atlanta for the MEAC/SWAC Challenge, he picked up the Alcorn State Bravehead as HBCUs officially kicked off the fall football season. He was wrong in that pick—North Carolina Central won—but it showed that HBCUs were part of his legendary GameDay tradition.
Still, the tiger head looms large. For those of us who saw it sitting there that morning in 2022, it’s a bittersweet memory. Lee Corso gave so much to the game, to the pageantry, to the fans who tuned in every week. Yet, one of the sport’s most iconic rituals never found its way to one of its proudest programs. Jackson State’s tiger head stayed on the table, never to be worn by Corso. And now, with Corso making his final College GameDay pick, we know it never will be.
But maybe that’s fitting. Corso’s impact didn’t need the final prop. It lives in the moments, the exposure, and the recognition he helped bring to programs too often overlooked. And in that way, even without the tiger head, Lee Corso’s legacy is complete — the HBCU world included.