Nick Saban’s behind-the-scenes gesture toward ‘College GameDay’ crew draws attention

The former head coach lent a helping hand to the College GameDay crew in a story recounted by host Rece Davis.

ESPN analyst Nick Saban helped out Rece Davis and the College GameDay crew in a way only he can. | Mateo Rosiles/ Avalanche-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The expanded College Football Playoff schedule poses significant logistical challenges for broadcasters covering the sport's premier events. With pivotal quarterfinal matchups taking place across the country on consecutive days, the window for travel shrinks considerably for on-air talent required at multiple venues.

Television personalities often rely on commercial flights or standard charters to travel between stadiums thousands of miles apart. However, the trek from the Fiesta Bowl in Arizona to the Peach Bowl in Atlanta required a more efficient solution to ensure the broadcast team arrived in time for the next kickoff.

One high-profile group managed to bypass the standard hassles of commercial air travel thanks to a generous offer from a seven-time national champion. The crew traded cramped legroom for the luxury of a private Cessna Citation Sovereign usually reserved for top-tier recruiting trips or executive transport. This specific aircraft is well-known in Tuscaloosa for ferrying university officials and coaches to the living rooms of elite prospects across the nation.

The gesture turned a potential travel nightmare into a seamless transition between two of the sport's biggest stages. While most travelers navigated delays and connections, this group soared across the country at supersonic speeds.

The flight provided a rare glimpse into the perks of working alongside one of the most successful figures in college football history, who has seamlessly transitioned from the sidelines to the studio.

Nick Saban shares private jet with ESPN broadcasters to navigate playoff schedule

The expanded College Football Playoff schedule created a logistical gauntlet for broadcasters covering the quarterfinal matchups. With the Fiesta Bowl concluding late Thursday in Arizona and the Peach Bowl kicking off Friday in Atlanta, the window for travel was nearly nonexistent. The College GameDay crew faced a tight turnaround that made standard commercial flights impractical for bridging the 1,800-mile gap between venues.

Retired Alabama coach Nick Saban stepped in to provide a sophisticated solution for his new colleagues at ESPN. The seven-time national champion shared his seat on a Cessna Citation Sovereign to ensure the broadcast team arrived in Georgia ahead of schedule. This specific aircraft is legendary in Tuscaloosa for its previous role in transporting university officials and securing elite recruiting classes during the height of the Crimson Tide dynasty.

The gesture highlights the immediate perks of Saban joining the network’s premier pre-game show following his retirement in 2024. While the flight offered unprecedented convenience, it also served as a unique bonding moment for the on-air talent. The group traded the typical airport chaos for a direct flight that operated at speeds rarely experienced by civilian travelers.

Rece Davis shares details of supersonic flight between CFP games

The College GameDay host described the experience during a recent appearance on ESPN Radio’s College Football Campus Tour. Speaking with hosts Jonathan Zaslow and Amber Wilson, Davis expressed hesitation about revealing the travel arrangements because he wanted to avoid sounding pretentious. He eventually conceded that the group flew on Saban’s plane to make the tight turnaround.

“Sounds like you're bragging and it's hard to say without sounding like you are,” Davis said regarding the luxury transport. “We went on, Nick Saban's plane. And so it was like, I think at one point we hit better than 700 miles per hour. We were sailing.”

Former Alabama head coach Nick Saban joined the College GameDay crew in early 2024 after his retirement from the Crimson Tide | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The immense speed allowed the crew to cross the country rapidly, but the aircraft lacked modern connectivity. Passengers found themselves without Wi-Fi at 40,000 feet, cutting them off from the live sporting events happening below. Pilots in the cockpit had to radio air traffic control towers along the flight path to request score updates for the anxious broadcasters in the cabin.

“The one thing we didn't have was internet access,” Davis explained regarding the digital blackout. “So we were going, they were going up and calling towers ahead. So we were getting reports. So I came back and ended up watching the second half when I got to the hotel.”

The exclusive flight manifest included key members of the network's college football coverage team. Davis was joined by insider Pete Thamel, betting analyst Stanford Steve Coughlin, and former Heisman winner Desmond Howard. Saban’s personal aides, Andy Milam and Mario Mayles, also accompanied the group on the journey to Atlanta. This specific jet has a history of high-stakes missions, including ferrying COVID-19 test samples in 2020 to clear Saban for a game against Georgia.

The College Football Playoff National Championship kicks off in Atlanta on Monday, Jan. 20 at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.