With SEC Media Days underway in Dallas, you can certainly feel that the 2024 college football season is right around the corner.
Once the season does officially kick-off, it’s going to be extremely strange not seeing Nick Saban patrolling the Alabama sidelines.
Love him or hate him, Saban is widely-regarded as the greatest coach in college football history. His sudden and abrupt retirement is a decision that some are still struggling to accept.
I don’t mean to sound dramatic – and don’t get me wrong – Alabama is in great hands with new coach Kalen DeBoer…but the sport suffers a significant void not having Saban actively in it.
Of course, we’ll still have plenty of Nick Saban in our lives. So don’t you worry Georgia fans…
Saban’s decision to join ESPN’s iconic “College GameDay” guarantees that he will have a large role in the coverage of the sport going forward.
His two Little Debbie’s every morning should guarantee at least three decades on the show.
Needless to say, Saban’s transition to the broadcasting world has been an interesting one.
As a matter of fact, he revealed an eye-opening experience he had just this morning at SEC Media Days.
Saban was actually denied entry because he didn’t have his credential!
“It’s a little different,” he said on ESPN’s “Get Up” when asked about the differences of attending the massive event as a broadcaster rather than a coach.
“I’ve never worn a credential in my life and was always for 17 years able to get into SEC Media Day without a credential. I had to go back to the room today and get my credential to get in,” he said with a laugh.
“So that’s one of the biggest changes I see. It’s not like it used to be.”
Saban’s transition to broadcasting began with his ESPN debut at the NFL Draft in April.
This fall, as a member of College GameDay, he’ll face the challenge of offering game predictions, including those involving his former team.
“I’ve tried to steer away from picking people. I think I’m gonna have to do that now, but I don’t know that you always have to pick the team you think is gonna win,” Saban said of the unique setting he now finds himself in.
“You’re allowed to have a spiritual feeling about who you like and who you want to win. I think it’ll be a lot of fun, though.”
In fairness, the case of the missing credential doesn’t appear to be as dramatic as what some are cracking it up to be.
As a matter of fact, AL.com caught up with the security guard who turned Saban away…
Kiante Griffin, who just so happens to be a former four-star wide receiver, was working the event alongside his grandmother.
“He came down the elevator and he knew he didn’t have his credentials,” Griffin recounted to AL.com. “He literally looked at me, he was like ‘Oh I’m going to go up and get it.’”
Griffin admitted that he was open to letting it slide.
“I was like ‘I think everybody should know who you are. There’s a credential desk right here. You can probably just get another one.’ But he ended up just going back up to his room.”
Griffin’s old-school grandmother told him he did the right thing.
“They told us everybody had to have their credentials … Period,” she said.
Hopefully Saban remembers to bring his credential when SEC Media Days continue tomorrow.
What are your thoughts on his decision to retire? … Do you think the wildness of NIL and the transfer portal are what drove him out?
Are you looking forward to watching him on GameDay? … Or do you think he will end up bombing in his new role?
Was DeBoer the best man to replace Saban? … Or should Alabama have gone in a different direction???