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Nick Saban elected to 2025 College Football Hall of Fame class

ESPN's 'College GameDay' crew surprised him with the announcement on the air

ian casselberry
Contributing writer
·2-min read
PASADENA, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 01: Head coach Nick Saban of the Alabama Crimson Tide runs off the field at halftime during the CFP Semifinal Rose Bowl Game against the Michigan Wolverines at Rose Bowl Stadium on January 1, 2024 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Ryan Kang/Getty Images)
Nick Saban coached Alabama to six national championships during his 17-year tenure. (Photo by Ryan Kang/Getty Images)

Nick Saban is the first inductee of the 2025 College Football Hall of Fame class.

The ESPN "College GameDay" crew surprised him with the announcement during Friday's pregame show for the College Football Playoff matchup between Ohio State and Texas at the Cotton Bowl.

Saban's election to the Hall of Fame was a no-brainer. He won six national championships during his 17 years at Alabama and a seventh at LSU, where he coached five seasons. Saban compiled a 201-29 record in Tuscaloosa, winning nine SEC titles. He retired from coaching after last season. Earlier this year, the Alabama board of trustees voted to name the field at Bryant-Denny Stadium after him.

Overall, Saban finished with a 297-71-1 record as a college coach with stints at Toledo (9-2), Michigan State (34-24-1), LSU (48-16) and Alabama. His seven national championships are the most all-time among FBS coaches, while his win total ranks fifth all-time. He won 11 SEC championships and one MAC title.

In 28 seasons as a college head coach, Saban never had a losing season. He coached 66 first-team All-Americans and four Heisman Trophy winners. (Additionally, 52 of his players were first-round NFL Draft picks, while 136 of them were selected.)

Saban, 73, is the fifth Alabama coach to be elected to the College Football Hall of Fame, joining Gene Stallings, Frank Thomas and Wallace Wade. He is also the sixth LSU coach, the sixth from Michigan State and the second from Toledo to be inducted.

Saban was one of nine coaches on the 2025 ballot, including Urban Meyer, Tommy Tuberville and Larry Coker. The 77 players on the ballot include Penn State's Ki-Jana Carter, Iowa's Dallas Clark, Pittsburgh's Aaron Donald, Alabama's Mark Ingram, Oklahoma's Josh Heupel and Syracuse's Marvin Harrison.

The rest of the College Football Hall of Fame class of 2025 will be announced on Jan. 15 during ESPN2's "College Football Live." The 2025 class will be officially inducted on Dec. 9 during the National Football Foundation Annual Awards Dinner in Las Vegas.