The first step to Nick Saban’s inevitable enshrinement into the College Football Hall of Fame has officially been taken.

The legendary former Alabama coach is appearing for the first time on the ballot for the College Football Hall of Fame, with the National Football Foundation revealing the ballot Monday.

Saban is one of nine FBS coaches on the ballot, three of whom — Saban, former Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville and former Troy coach Larry Blakeney — coached in Alabama at some point during their respective careers. Former Florida and Ohio State coach Urban Meyer is also on the ballot.

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Running back Mark Ingram, Alabama’s first Heisman Trophy winner, and former Crimson Tide offensive tackle Chris Samuels are among the players eligible for induction.

The announcement of the 2025 hall of fame class, which will undoubtedly include Saban, will be made in early 2025, according to the National Football Foundation. The class will officially be inducted on Dec. 9, 2025 at an awards dinner in Las Vegas.

The 72-year-old Saban retired in January following his 17^th season leading the Alabama program. In that time, he revived the Tide and ushered in arguably the most dominant stretch in the program’s illustrious history, winning six national championships, nine SEC titles and making the College Football Playoff eight times in the event’s 10-year existence. The most recent of those appearances came at the end of the 2023 season, with Alabama losing to eventual national champion Michigan 27-20 in overtime at the Rose Bowl in what would be Saban’s final game with the Tide.

Along with a title he won with LSU in 2003, Saban’s seven championships are the most of any coach in FBS history, just ahead of Bear Bryant.

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College Football Hall of Fame 2025 ballot

The ballot for the 2025 College Football Hall of Fame class includes 77 players and nine coaches from the FBS ranks, as well as 101 players and 34 coaches from the lower levels of the sport.

Here are some of the most notable names up for enshrinement, with coaches being listed with the school with which they’re most commonly associated. Names are listed in alphabetical order.

Players

• Montee Ball, Wisconsin

• Gregg Carr, Auburn

• Ki-Jana Carter, Penn State

• Dallas Clark, Iowa

• Aaron Donald, Pitt

• Ken Dorsey, Miami

• Alan Faneca, LSU

• Willie Gault, Tennessee

• Graham Harrell, Texas Tech

• Marvin Harrison, Syracuse

• Garrison Hearst, Georgia

• John Henderson, Tennessee

• Josh Heupel, Oklahoma

• Craig Heyward, Pitt

• Mark Ingram, Alabama

• DeSean Jackson, Cal

• James Laurinaitis, Ohio State

• Ryan Leaf, Washington State

• Marshawn Lynch, Cal

• Kellen Moore, Boise State

• Haloti Ngata, Oregon

• Michael Oher, Ole Miss

• Antwaan Randle El, Indiana

• Chris Samuels, Alabama

• Steve Slaton, West Virginia

• Takeo Spikes, Auburn

• Sean Taylor, Miami

• Manti Te’o, Notre Dame

• Michael Vick, Virginia Tech

• Peter Warrick, Florida State

Coaches

• Larry Blakeney, Troy

• Larry Coker, Miami

• Ralph Friedgen, Maryland

• Urban Meyer, Florida

• Nick Saban, Alabama

• Tommy Tuberville, Auburn

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Nick Saban makes first appearance on College Football Hall of Fame ballot