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Michael Beach

Lee Corso’s Last ‘Not So Fast, My Friend’ — A Farewell to a Changed College Football World

Previous CFB previews: 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021

In 1987, Lee Corso helped launch College Gameday. Cable TV was in less than half of American homes. ESPN was still the scrappy outsider, not the kingmaker.

He turned football predictions into theater. A goofy headgear pick became must-see TV. A catchphrase (“Not so fast, my friend”) outlived commissioners, conferences, and entire media deals.

But time wins. Corso is saying goodbye, and college football is leaving with him — at least the version he helped build. The money is bigger, the players are paid, and the sport now belongs to billion-dollar TV contracts as much as it does to rivalries on the field.

Let’s break it down into 4 big questions:
1) What did the TV world look like when GameDay began?
2) How often does Corso pick the winner?
3) Which conferences make the most money?
4) Which teams draw the biggest TV crowds?

What did the TV world look like when GameDay began?

Cable was on the rise: When College GameDay launched in 1987, cable (pay-TV) was only in 41M homes (46% of HH).

U.S. homes with pay-TV:
1) 1987 - 46%
2) 2010 - 85%
3) 2025 - 51%

Back in 1987, media companies spent $130M licensing college football games.  That number has grown 22X (8.4% per year) to $2.8B in 2025.  As the pay-TV business grew, so did the amount networks (such as ESPN) could pay to air college football games. 

How often does Corso pick the winner?

67%: Coach Corso has picked my Buckeyes (👑) the most (45) and has the opportunity to add one more this week during his final show.

Flashback: College GameDay Goes 28-0

Most times hosting College GameDay, according to Wikipedia:
1) Ohio State - 26
2) Alabama - 19
3) Michigan - 15

Most appearances:
1) Ohio State - 67
2) Alabama - 60
3) Florida - 42
4) Oklahoma - 41
5) Michigan - 40

Most wins:
1) Ohio State - 46 (46-20)
2) Alabama - 39 (39-21)
3) Oklahoma - 27 (27-14)
4) Florida - 26 (26-16)
5) LSU - 22 (22-14)

Which conferences make the most money?

Conference revenue (YoY growth) according to Sportico:
1) Big Ten - $928M (↑ 5%) 
2) SEC - $840M (↓ 2%)

Players share: $1.9B in 2025 (up 90% vs. 2024). College Football is an arms race with two major players (Big Ten and SEC).  The TV deal is how teams buy weapons players.

College football player earnings, according to Opendorse:
1) 2024 - $1.0B
2) 2025 - $1.9B (↑ 90%) 

Income brackets for college football players:
1) $1M+ - 0.3%
2) $500K - $1M - 0.6%
3) $100K - $500K - 9.1%
4) $50K - $99K - 7.4%
5) $10K - $49K - 16.1%
6) Less than $10K - 66.5% 

Which teams draw the biggest TV crowds?

Most watched teams during the 2024 season, according to Huddle Up:
1) Georgia - 8.6M
2) Ohio State - 6.8M
3) Alabama - 6.6M
4) Texas - 6.4M
5) Tennessee - 5.4M
6) Michigan - 5.2M
7) Texas A&M - 4.9M
8) LSU - 4.8M
9) Kentucky - 4.5M
10) Florida - 4.3M

Bottom line: Lee Corso’s farewell isn’t just about a beloved broadcaster stepping away. It marks the closing chapter of the pay-TV era that built modern college football. Corso rose with cable (46% of homes in 1987 → 85% in 2010). His exit comes as penetration falls back near 50%.