Nick Saban has been no stranger to Tuscaloosa after his retirement as Alabama football coach in January. But that did not stop the Crimson Tide fans from making him feel welcomed during his first appearance back with ESPN's "College GameDay" ahead of Alabama vs. Georgia.

"Wow, it's a great honor. But we had this support for years, and it's what made the program great," Saban said.

Saban said each Alabama vs. Georgia game carries weight with past meetings deciding SEC Championships and College Football Playoff National Championship winners.

"There will be no less significance to the players today," Saban said.

Saban has been at each Alabama home game in 2024, including the Crimson Tide win against South Florida where the field at Bryant-Denny Stadium was dedicated as "Saban Field."

After his retirement from Alabama in January, Saban joined ESPN and the "College GameDay" team in February.

"When he speaks, there's not a peep in the room," Steve Coughlin, better known as "Stanford Steve," said. "Everybody's trying to get smarter, and it's because of him."

What is it like working with former Alabama football coach Nick Saban on ESPN 'College GameDay'?

At the end of Saturday's show, Terry Saban, Nick Saban's wife better known as "Miss Terry," will be the guest picker ahead of Alabama vs. Georgia.

Alabama vs. Georgia will kick off from Bryant-Denny Stadium at 6:30 p.m. Saturday. The game will be broadcast on ABC.

Colin Gay covers Alabama football for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at cgay@gannett.com or follow him @_ColinGay on X, formerly known as Twitter. 

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Nick Saban gets warm welcome on 'College GameDay' before Alabama vs Georgia