The two best coaches of their era will almost certainly enter the College Football Hall of Fame together.
The National Football Foundation announced the ballot for the 2025 Hall of Fame class, highlighted by first-timers Nick Saban and Urban Meyer.
Meyer, 59, attained eligibility by being now three seasons removed from coaching, while Saban, 72, gained immediate eligibility upon retirement by being over 70. Active coaches become Hall of Fame eligible at 75. Coaches must serve as a head coach for at least 10 full seasons and win at least 60 percent of their games to make the ballot.
Saban is the undisputed greatest coach in the history of the sport, with seven national championships all won in the Championship Era, a more difficult era to attain and maintain greatness. He went 9-2 with a shared MAC championship at Toledo in 1990; 34-24-1 with one AP Top 10 finish from 1995-99 at Michigan State; 48-16 with one national championship, two SEC championships and two AP Top 10 finishes from 2000-04 at LSU; and 201-29 with 11 SEC championships, six national championships and a run of 16 consecutive AP Top 10 finishes from 2007-23 at Alabama.
Meyer's .858 career winning percentage surpassed Saban's career .804 mark, and he completed his 17-year head coaching career with more seasons (9) inside the AP Top 5 than not (8) -- and that includes four seasons at Bowling Green and Utah, plus a 10th season in which his team finished AP No. 6. In all, Meyer went 17-6 from 2001-02 at Bowling Green; 22-2 with two Mountain West championships and one AP Top 5 ranking from 2003-04 at Utah; 65-15 with two SEC championships, two national championships, and three AP Top 5 finishes from 2005-10 at Florida; and 83-9 with three Big Ten championships, one national championship, and five AP Top 5 and six AP Top 10 finishes from 2012-18 at Ohio State.
Larry Blakeney (Troy), Jim Carlen (West Virginia, Texas Tech, South Carolina), Pete Cawthorn, Sr. (Texas Tech, Austin College), Larry Coker (Miami, UTSA), Ralph Friedgen (Maryland), Darryl Rogers (Cal State East Bay, Fresno State, San Jose State, Michigan State, Arizona State), and Tommy Tuberville (Ole Miss, Auburn, Texas Tech, Cincinnati) and 34 divisional coaches were also nominated for the inclusion in the 2025 class.
Cleveland Browns offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey, Purdue offensive coordinator Graham Harrell, Texas assistant director of player development Michael Huff, Ohio State linebackers coach James Laurinaitis, and Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore were also nominated for their exploits as players.
The 2025 class will be announced early next year and be inducted Dec. 9, 2025, at the 67th Annual NFF Dinner in Las Vegas. Two coaches per class enter the Hall, so Senator Tuberville and others will almost certainly have to wait until 2026 for their short at immortality.
The Hall of Fame is selected by the National Football Foundation Honors Court, with input from NFF membership. All members are eligible to cast a ballot, but ballots are due July 1.