ESPN announced Wednesday that its newest College GameDay analyst will be former University of Alabama coach Nick Saban.
Saban, 72, is fresh off his retirement after coaching college football for 28 seasons. His final 17 years were with the Crimson Tide, with which he won 201 games, the second-most victories with a single program in Southeastern Conference history.
“ESPN and College GameDay have played such an important role in the growth of college football, and I’m honored to have the opportunity to join their team,” Saban said in a statement. “I’ll do my best to offer additional insights and perspectives to contribute to College GameDay, the ultimate Saturday tradition for college football fans.”
The former coach is also anticipated to anchor the network’s coverage of events such as the NFL draft and SEC media days. In the 16 drafts during Saban’s Alabama tenure, NFL teams picked 123 Crimson Tide players, a record for a single college in that period.
“Nick Saban is a singular, iconic presence in college football,” ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro said in a statement. “He is also an extremely gifted communicator, who will immediately add even more credibility, authority and entertainment value to ESPN, including our esteemed College GameDay show.”
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The news comes as ESPN+, the network’s streaming service, increased its subscription price by a dollar last year. Around the same time, the company announced it would attempt a “cost savings” measure by laying off a number of commentators. Among them was 27-year veteran Suzy Kolber.
ESPN+ will restrict its subscribers from sharing passwords with others beginning March 14. These increased limitations were announced in user agreements updated on Jan. 25.
