It’s Transfer Portal Season in college football, with the current window of opportunity for player departures ending Friday.
It’s also free-agent season for college football broadcasters with one of the most popular studio analysts of all time ready to retire, a top-notch host rebuffing an offer to move and some quality game analysts leaving their roles. All that happened in the past couple of weeks and we’re still more than three months from the start of the season — which means there’s more change to come.
Still, here’s how what has happened will reshape things how Penn State fans will experience and see college football next season.
First, Lee’s leaving. That’s right, longtime “College GameDay” analyst Lee Corso, 89, who has been with the show since its inception, that’s 38 years, will work just one more Saturday for ESPN. The network announced his final show would be Aug. 30.
He’ll get all kinds of deserved accolades, even some special shows and segments leading up to “GameDay.” Then he’ll make the final headgear pick of his career before ending his broadcasting career.
Corso has built a Hall of Fame-worthy career as an analyst, where he’s been much more successful than he was as a player or coach (and he was decent in those roles). He has helped redefine ‘GameDay” as an entertainment and information venues, as well as a community gathering spot.
With the show on location every week since the late 1990s, Corso has traveled the country while connecting with fans and viewers, first with witty banter and sideline stories and later becoming a beloved, folksy old uncle. He’s made more than 400 of his headgear picks.
After a stroke in 2009, though, Corso’s contributions have been a bit less valuable and he has struggled on air at times, with his once off-the-cuff commentary becoming completely scripted. Honestly, his most important contributions have been to the camaraderie of “GameDay.” As he has faltered, his on-screen teammates, especially Kirk Herbstreit, have protected and supported him. It’s been endearing (albeit sometimes scary and unsettling), making the show even more powerful as a regular display of family.
Kudos to ESPN for finally making the call on Corso’s future — giving him the sendoff he deserves while ensuring the show will be better going forward as a result.
About those analysts. At CBS Sports, top analyst Gary Danielson, 73, announced the 2025 season would be his last a few weeks ago. So, we get a lame-duck season from a guy who’s been with his network for two decades. He’s the longest-tenured game analyst on any network, although CBS just started carrying Big Ten Conference games in 2023.
With Danielson’s departure, Charles Davis was hired to take the top analyst spot at CBS. He’ll handle NFL games this season before going back to college in 2026.
Another analyst, Brock Huard at Fox Sports, is leaving broadcasting as well. He announced his departure to coach his son’s high school football team. Kudos to him for making a move some might not, and credit to him for being able to make the move.
It’s a loss for viewers, though, because he’s good. Huard was a wise addition for Fox, a great hire from ESPN a few seasons ago. He’ll probably be back after his son gets through high school.
Home for a host. Happily, Rece Davis is not leaving his job. The ESPN stalwart and “College GameDay” host was courted by Fox Sports for a similar role leading its “Big Noon Kickoff,” and it’s not clear the discussions were ever serious — hopefully at least in part because Davis knew he’d be moving to a lesser show that no amount of previous ESPN talent has been able to salvage.
Still, the interest from another network was enough to make Davis think. His commitment to staying at ESPN is a good thing for viewers, as well as his bank account. Davis signed a seven-year contract with ESPN that keeps him as the network’s college football host through the 2031-32 season.
While he’s a winner, as are Davis and whoever ends up replacing Huard, there is one high profile loser, at least by perception, because of these moves. That’s Rob Stone. He’s the current host of “Big Noon Kickoff,” and when your network is looking for someone to take your job that’s never a good thing.
It’s all part of free-agent season, though.
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