There is no college football coach in history with more national titles than Nick Saban, and while he already has a statue on Alabama's campus, recognitions keep coming for the recently retired legend.
Alabama has officially named the turf at Bryant-Denny Stadium "Saban Field." The title will be honored during a ceremony Sept. 7 ahead of the Crimson Tide's matchup versus South Florida.
While Saban himself might not always be in Tuscaloosa with his new gig as an analyst on ESPN's "College GameDay," his presence will be permanently felt at Alabama home games.
Here's what you need to know about the new moniker for Bryant-Denny Stadium's playing field.
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Why is Alabama naming the field at Bryant-Denny Stadium after Nick Saban?
Alabama's board of trustees confirmed in a meeting Friday that the turf field at Bryant-Denny Stadium will be named "Saban Field," in honor of the six-time Crimson Tide national championship-winning head coach.
Saban and his wife were first notified over Zoom before the legendary coach issued an official statement on the honor.
"First of all, this is very special honor. I don't think there could be anything that honors the hard work and example that we tried to set our community, our university, and our program and all the players in it as to what you all have decided to do here today," Saban said.
"This honor, or naming, is representative of what a lot of people contributed to. We never really had any signs up 'win a championship,' 'win a national championship,' 'win the SEC.' It was all about being a champion in everything you do."
Alabama will change the signage out front of the stadium to reflect the news, with the new sign reading "Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium."
New signage to appear outside SF at BDS. pic.twitter.com/3vgdd52M34
— Michael Casagrande (@ByCasagrande) July 19, 2024
Saban's legendary run with the Crimson Tide culminated in a 201-29 all-time record, including 117-18 in SEC play. He went to the national title game nine times in the 17 years he coached in Tuscaloosa, winning six titles. His seventh championship came in 2003 as head coach of LSU.
Widely considered one of the greatest coaches in the history of the college game, it's difficult to question the school's motivation to name the field Saban won so many games on after him. After all, Saban only lost nine games at home, winning 103 contests under the Bryant-Denny lights.
Bryant-Denny Stadium capacity
Seating 101,821 fans, Bryant-Denny Stadium is only the fourth-largest stadium in the SEC and the eighth-largest in the country. Since retiring, Saban has maintained an office in the stadium and plans to stick around as a resource for new head coach Kalen DeBoer and the Alabama players.
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Nick Saban Alabama coaching record
| Year | Record (SEC) | Bowl/championship (result) | Final AP rank |
| 2007 | 7-6 (4-4) | Independence Bowl (W) | N/A |
| 2008 | 12-2 (8-0) | Sugar Bowl (L) | 6 |
| 2009 | 14-0 (8-0) | BCS National Championship (W) | 1 |
| 2010 | 10-3 (5-3) | Capital One Bowl (W) | 10 |
| 2011 | 12-1 (7-1) | BCS National Championship (W) | 1 |
| 2012 | 13-1 (7-1) | BCS National Championship (W) | 1 |
| 2013 | 11-2 (7-1) | Sugar Bowl (L) | 7 |
| 2014 | 12-2 (7-1) | Sugar Bowl (L) | 4 |
| 2015 | 14-1 (7-1) | CFP National Championship (W) | 1 |
| 2016 | 14-1 (8-0) | CFP National Championship (L) | 2 |
| 2017 | 13-1 (7-1) | CFP National Championship (W) | 1 |
| 2018 | 14-1 (8-0) | CFP National Championship (L) | 2 |
| 2019 | 11-2 (6-2) | Citrus Bowl (W) | 8 |
| 2020 | 13-0 (10-0) | CFP National Championship (W) | 1 |
| 2021 | 13-2 (7-1) | CFP National Championship (L) | 2 |
| 2022 | 11-2 (6-2) | Sugar Bowl (W) | 5 |
| 2023 | 12-2 (8-0) | Rose Bowl (L) | 5 |
2024 Alabama football schedule
| Date | Opponent | Time (ET) | TV channel |
| Aug. 31 | vs. Western Kentucky | 7 p.m. | ESPN |
| Sept. 7 | vs. USF | 7 p.m. | ESPN |
| Sept. 14 | at Wisconsin | 12 p.m. | Fox |
| Sept. 21 | Bye | ||
| Sept. 28 | vs. Georgia | 7:30 p.m. | ABC |
| Oct. 5 | at Vanderbilt | TBD | TBD |
| Oct. 12 | vs. South Carolina | 12 p.m. | ABC or ESPN |
| Oct. 19 | at Tennessee | TBD | TBD |
| Oct. 26 | vs. Missouri | TBD | TBD |
| Nov. 2 | Bye | ||
| Nov. 9 | at LSU | TBD | TBD |
| Nov. 16 | vs. Mercer | 2 p.m. | ESPN+/SEC Network+ |
| Nov. 23 | at Oklahoma | TBD | TBD |
| Nov. 30 | vs. Auburn | TBD | TBD |
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