The College GameDay crew surprised Nick Saban with his College Football Hall of Fame announcement
Nick Saban will be inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame. This is not news to anyone who has paid attention to college football over the last 20 years, but it came as a delightful surprise to Saban on Friday night when he learned his induction will take place in 2025.
It takes quite a bit to catch Saban off guard, but his ESPN College GameDay co-hosts were able to manage that ahead of the College Football Playoff at the Cotton Bowl between No. 8 seed Ohio State and No. 5 seed Texas.
During the pre-game show, Rece Davis launched into a monologue about the history of the sport before breaking the news to Saban that he’s officially joining the Hall of Fame.
This moment was awesome.
Nick Saban will be joining the College Football Hall of Fame
Well-deserved pic.twitter.com/fCWcpYWkNI
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) January 10, 2025
“A master strategist and unparalleled recruiter, Nick Saban’s legendary career includes an unprecedented seven national titles and a list of accomplishments that cements his name in the pantheon of the greatest to have ever coached the game,” The National Football Foundation said in a statement on Saban’s election.
“The Monongah, West Virginia, native now becomes the second coach from Toledo, the sixth from Michigan State, the sixth from LSU and the fifth from Alabama to enter the College Football Hall of Fame.”
The rest of the 2025 class will be announced January 15 on ESPN while the official induction ceremony will take place Dec. 9, 2025, at Bellagio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.