The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame announced tonight that Nick Saban will be inducted into the the College Football Hall of Fame as a member of the 2025 class.

ESPN host Rece Davis surprised Saban with the news live during ESPN's College GameDay Built by The Home Depot prior to the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl between Ohio State and Texas. Saban is in his first season as an analyst on the show. Davis and the rest of the crew took part in the surprise, congratulating the legendary coach on receiving college football's ultimate honor.

The 2025 College Football Hall of Fame Class will officially be inducted during the 67th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas on Dec. 9, 2025, at Bellagio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

The rest of the 2025 class will be announced on Wednesday, Jan. 15 on ESPN2 at 3:00 p.m. ET during "College Football Live"

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 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.
 
Over 28 seasons as a head coach, Saban compiled a 292-71-1 career record (80.4%), retiring as the NCAA's active leader in wins and ranking sixth all-time among FBS coaches. With seven national championships—six at Alabama and one at LSU—Saban holds the record for the most titles in FBS history. He also holds the distinction as the first coach in history to win national crowns at two different FBS schools since the AP Poll's inception in 1936. He is the only head coach in the BCS and CFP eras with multiple undefeated national championship seasons.
 
Saban's head coaching journey began at Toledo (1990), where he went 9-2 and won a share of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) title in his lone season with the Rockets. From 1995-99, Saban led Michigan State, revitalizing the Spartans program while posting a 34-24-1 record. He landed four bowl appearances in his five seasons in East Lansing, with the 1999 Spartans finishing with a final No. 7 ranking.
 
Coaching in Baton Rouge for five seasons (2000-04), Saban tallied an overall record of 48-16 and delivered LSU its first national championship since 1958 with a win in the 2003 BCS National Championship over Oklahoma. He also led the Tigers to two SEC titles (2001, 2003), a 4-1 postseason record in bowl games, and four top 25 final national rankings.
 
During his 17 seasons at Alabama (2007-23), Saban built the most dominant dynasty in modern college football, leading the Tide to nine BCS/CFP championship game appearances while winning six national titles. He compiled an overall record of 201-29 (87.4%) and produced 15 consecutive seasons with a No. 1 AP ranking and nine SEC titles. He led the Crimson Tide to 17 bowl appearances, posting an overall postseason record of 13-4. His 201 wins at Alabama ranks second all-time, eclipsed only by Hall of Fame coach Paul "Bear" Bryant. He had a 26-game winning streak from 2015-16, and combining his tenures at LSU and Alabama, he went 11-1 in SEC Championship games.
 
Saban's unmatched ability to develop talent resulted in 66 First Team All-Americans, including four Heisman Trophy winners, which ties him with Hall of Famer Frank Leahy for the most by any coach in history. He coached seven NFF National Scholar-Athletes, including Campbell Trophy® winners Rudy Niswanger at LSU and Barrett Jones and Jalen Milroe at Alabama. He mentored 136 NFL Draft picks at Alabama, and he holds the most first round draft picks in a career with 52.
 
Saban never had a losing season in 28 years as a head coach, and he claimed more than 20 coach of the year honors during his career, including the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year twice (2003 and 2008) and SEC Coach of Year five times (2003, 2008, 2009, 2016, 2020). His expansive coaching tree includes more than 35 assistant head coaches who have gone on to become head coaches in college and the NFL.
 
Beyond football, Saban's impact extended into philanthropy. His Nick's Kids Foundation has distributed over $13 million to more than 150 charities. He helped rebuild 22 homes with Habitat for Humanity after a devastating tornado in Tuscaloosa and made multiple $1 million donations to support first-generation scholarships, Alabama athletics, and St. Francis Catholic Church. His latest initiative, the Saban Center, will house a STEM Discovery Center, the Alabama STEM Hub, and the Tuscaloosa Children's Theater.
 
A three-year letterman at safety for Kent State (1970-72), Saban earned both his bachelor's (1973) and master's (1975) degrees from Kent State. Now an ESPN College GameDay analyst, he remains a revered figure in college football. In recognition of his unparalleled success, Alabama's Board of Trustees approved plans to name the field at Bryant-Denny Stadium in his honor.