Nick Saban sends clear message after purchasing stake in professional sports team

Nick Saban discussed his new stake in a professional sports franchise on an ESPN show.

Former Alabama coach Nick Saban | Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Two years have passed since Nick Saban announced his retirement from his legendary run as the head coach of the Alabama football program.

Saban finished his 17-year tenure with the Crimson Tide 201-29 overall with nine SEC championships and six national championships to his name. Despite all that success, he has remained active in the sports world beyond the end of his tenure at Alabama.

Saban joined ESPN's College GameDay show as an analyst at the beginning of the 2024 college football season. Less than a year had passed since he retired from coaching the Crimson Tide.

However, Saban's involvement in sports has expanded beyond college football. He acquired a minority stake in the ownership of the Nashville Predators on Wednesday.

"The Preds are a great organization with a fantastic brand, and we are excited to be part of the future success of the franchise," Saban announced in a statement.

Saban joined the Pat McAfee Show to discuss his new partial ownership of the NHL franchise on Thursday.

"It was an opportunity for me with Bill Haslam, who we talked about some sports franchises and the future, and this is the first one that came up," Saban said. "I love hockey. I think hockey is a great investment; they have a salary cap. It's a growing sport, and Nashville's a great city; we have a lot of businesses there. I'm kind of a fan and look forward to being a part of the team."

The businesses Saban refers to are a pair of luxury car dealerships within his Dream Motor Group. The group owns Mercedes-Benz of Music City and Prancing Horse of Nashville, which sells Ferraris. Both are adjacent to the Nashville International Airport.

Mayor Walt Maddox and his family pose for a photo with Terry and Nick Saban | Gary Cosby Jr. / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Saban also mentioned that he believed the Predators have a structure capable of rebuilding the organization into a successful franchise. The Predators have been on a downward trend for the better part of a decade following their 2017 Stanley Cup appearance against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Predators have not won a postseason series since 2018. They have lost each of their last five first-round series in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and did not qualify in both 2023 and 2025.

Nashville sits at 13-16-4 through 33 games in the 2025-2026 season. It is currently in eighth place in the Central Division of the Western Conference of the NHL.

Nashville Predators right wing Luke Evangelista (77) and Carolina Hurricanes left wing William Carrier (28) | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images