Why Does 'College GameDay' Great Lee Corso Always Hold a No.2 Pencil? The Reason is Kinda Funny
"He's the only one who really shakes it in your face."
Published April 17 2025, 4:04 p.m. ET
In the world of ESPN broadcasting, few legends match the fame of Lee Corso. The College GameDay great has been in sports broadcasting for nearly four decades.
He announced his retirement plans in 2025 but left a few questions behind.
Perhaps, most pressingly, why does Lee Corso always hold a pencil? The answer is a funny one, aligning completely with Lee's irreverent and quick-witted sense of humor. Here's what we know about is iconic pencil and plans for retirement.
Why does Lee Corso always hold that pencil?
During his nearly 40 years in broadcast sports, Lee was a force of nature. Sharp-tongued, irreverent, and quick to scrap over his opinions, he was a well-respected and beloved figure at the head of College GameDay.
His fame surpassed only, perhaps, by the little yellow pencil in his hand: a No.2 Ticonderoga pencil, like you'd use in school. With a cheery pink eraser, the yellow pencil was nearly always in Lee's hand, becoming a celebrity on its own.
But why did he always carry it? The reason makes sense when you hear it, and it's amusing.
In 2005, USA Today reported that Lee was offered a job by golfing buddy Gino Pala, who, by the way, was an executive for Dixon Ticonderoga. He made Lee the director of business development for the company in 1992.
The same article recalls that buddy Gino admits Lee isn't the only personality to hold a pencil on air, but "he's the only one who really shakes it in your face."
Lee announced plans to retire in 2025.
So basically, Lee holds the pencil because he stands behind his company's product. Or, at least, if he's going to hold something in his hand to shake at his colleagues, it might as well be a brand he knows and loves.
But the days of Lee shaking his pencil on air have come to an end.
On April 17, 2025, Lee shared a statement explaining that he would be retiring from GameDay in August 2025.
Per ESPN, Lee said, "My family and I will be forever indebted for the opportunity to be part of ESPN and College GameDay for nearly 40 years. I have a treasure of many friends, fond memories, and some unusual experiences to take with me into retirement.”
He called himself "genuinely grateful" for his time on ESPN, adding, "ESPN has been exceptionally generous to me, especially these past few years. They accommodated me and supported me, as did my colleagues in the early days of College GameDay. Special thanks to Kirk Herbstreit for his friendship and encouragement. And lest I forget, the fans … truly a blessing to share this with them."
The announcement follows months of speculation about the health of 89-year-old Lee, and while it's a surprise to his fans, it makes sense in the greater context of his life.
It's unclear what's next for Lee, but it's likely that two things are true: He'll enjoy every moment of it, and a pencil will somehow be involved.