For more than three decades, Saturdays in the fall meant seeing Lee Corso perched at the College GameDay desk. That run came to an end on Aug. 30, when the 90-year-old appeared on the ESPN broadcast for the last time during the Ohio State vs. Texas game. Lee Corso, with his wife, has raised three sons, Dan, David, and Stephen. The couple also share a daughter, Diane.
For years, Corso’s trademark headgear selections became a must-watch ritual for fans. Fittingly, his last pick returned to where it all started. Ahead of the No. 1 Texas vs. No. 2 Ohio State showdown in Columbus, he slipped on Brutus Buckeye’s oversized head, the same mascot he chose for his very first pick years ago. With that moment, a beloved College GameDay tradition came to a close.
Lee Corso’s farewell reminds fans of the woman behind his legacy:
Their story began in the registration line at Florida State University, where Lee Corso was a young quarterback and Betsy Youngblood was a fellow student. Decades later, the partnership that started on campus became the backbone of Corso’s life. Youngblood rarely sought attention, but her husband never missed a chance to celebrate her. Accepting an honor at the ESPYs in 2025, Corso shared,
“My wife, Betsy, and I have been married for 69 years, and I just wanted to thank her for loving me through it all.”
As per Us Weekly, her support has proved crucial during some of Corso’s hardest moments. When Lee Corso suffered a stroke in 2009, which left him with partial paralysis and landed him in the ICU for three days, it was Youngblood who found him, rushed him to the hospital, and remained steadfast through his long recovery.
Inside Lee Corso’s family: Meet the children who stood by the College GameDay legend

For all his visibility on television, Lee Corso’s greatest legacy might have been his family. He and his wife, Betsy Youngblood, have raised three sons, Dan, David, and Stephen. The couple also share a daughter, Diane.
Dan mirrored his father’s passion for sports, building a career as president of the Atlanta Sports Council. When ESPN revealed that Corso’s final broadcast would coincide with Ohio State facing Texas, Dan confessed to the Tallahassee Democrat that he wished Florida State had been chosen instead.
“He was consistent with his love for FSU and the pageantry and tradition of college football, and on a weekly basis for 38 years reminded everyone that college football is a great form of entertainment,” Dan shared.
“As a family of Seminoles, yes, it was disappointing, but at the same time, it will be fun to watch his last GameDay and headgear in Columbus,” he added.
Steve once wore an Indiana jersey under his father’s guidance, hauling in 537 yards and four touchdowns in two seasons as a wide receiver from 1979 to 1980. David remained mostly out of the public eye.
Diane has turned her personal battles into advocacy. A teacher and writer, she authored The Uncomfortable Truth, a book recounting her experiences with adult anorexia, including during her pregnancy with triplets. On her website, she described herself as an “inadvertent expert on eating disorders,” a title born from lived experience rather than choice.
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