Nick Saban's First Statement as a Member of College GameDay

It's been a long offseason, but college football is finally back.

Ahead of the 2024 college football opener between the No. 10 Florida State Seminoles and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, ESPN's "College GameDay" has made its return. For the first time ever, the show is airing outside the United States, going overseas to Dublin, Ireland, where the opening game will take place.

Former Alabama coach Nick Saban is making his debut on the show as an analyst, joining Kirk Herbstreit, Rece Davis, Desmond Howard and Pat McAfee. Saban was quick to make his introductory statement as a member of the GameDay crew, commenting on the difference between being a coach and being an analyst.

“I’m looking forward to it," Saban said. "I’m happy to be here. This is certainly a different approach to the season. Most of the time, you’re sitting there saying, ‘This is the moment of truth’ when you’re a coach. Your team is going out there for the first time to compete. But now, we just have to hope and speculate on what others can do.”

Saban spent 17 seasons with the Crimson Tide from 2007-23. He brought the school six national championships and nine SEC championships.

Prior to coaching Alabama, Saban spent time as the coach for the Michigan State Spartans and the LSU Tigers. He also spent time in the NFL with the Miami Dolphins.

After retiring, the Crimson Tide replaced Saban with former Washington Huskies coach Kalen DeBoer, who made a championship appearance last season, losing to the Michigan Wolverines. DeBoer has Alabama as the No. 5 ranked team to begin the season.

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