The initial phase towards Nick Saban’s unavoidable induction into the College Football Hall of Fame has been formally completed. The National Football Foundation unveiled the College Football Hall of Fame ballot on Monday, marking the first time the illustrious former Alabama coach will be included.
Saban is one of nine FBS coaches running for office; three of them, Saban, former Troy coach Larry Blakeney, and former Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville, all had stints as Alabama coaches. Urban Meyer, a former coach at Ohio State and Florida, is also running.
Among the athletes eligible for inclusion are former Crimson Tide offensive tackle Chris Samuels and running back Mark Ingram, the first-ever winner of the Heisman Trophy from Alabama. The National Football Foundation states that the 2025 Hall of Fame class announcement will take place in the first part of 2025, and Saban will surely be among them. On December 9, 2025, the class will formally be inducted during a Las Vegas awards gala.
January saw the 72-year-old Saban step down from his position as head coach of the Alabama program after 17 seasons. He brought the Tide back to life during that period and brought about what is likely the greatest successful run in the program’s storied history, earning nine SEC titles, six national titles, and eight trips to the College Football Playoff in the event’s ten-year history. In what would be Saban’s final game with the Tide, Alabama lost to eventual national champion Michigan 27-20 in overtime at the Rose Bowl at the end of the 2023 season, marking the most recent of those appearances.
In addition to the 2003 championship he shared with LSU, Saban holds the record for the most championships of any FBS coach, one win shy of Bear Bryant’s seven.
2025 ballot for the College Football Hall of Fame There are 77 players and nine coaches from the FBS ranks as well as 101 players and 34 coaches from the lower divisions of the sport on the ballot for the 2025 College Football Hall of Fame class.
