Urban Meyer joins Nick Saban in 2025 College Football Hall of Fame

Urban Meier and Nick Saban they once fought each other for national championships. Now, both title winners will be reunited in a new place: the College Football Hall of Fame.

The former Ohio State, Florida State, Utah State and Bowling Green head coach joins Saban in the class of 2025according to Matt Fortuna of Inside Zone. Fortuna adds “with a combined 10 national titles between them, two of the best coaches of this generation will enter the Hall together.”

Meyer once coached against Saban during the first four-team College Football Playoff. His Buckeyes got the better of that meeting on Jan. 1, 2015, in the Sugar Bowl, 42-35. Meyer rode backup quarterback Cardale Jones to Saban’s Crimson Tide team.

The two legendary college coaches engaged in other memorable meetings, including one that created a new CFB dynasty.

Urban Meyer and Nick Saban’s past pre-induction battles

Both Meyer and Saban have coached against each other four times. Their records are 2-2 overall, but Meier won the last contest.

However, most fans, especially in the Southeastern Conference, probably remember two significant meetings between the two coaches.

Meeting no. 1 was held in the 2008 SEC title game. Meyer’s Florida team was riding an emotional wave with Tim Tebow under center. Meyer/Tebow led the Gators in a 31-20 shutout of Saban’s Alabama team. Saban improved Alabama drastically in that ’08 campaign — from 7-6 to 12-0 leading up to that SEC Championship game. Meyer, Tebow and the Gators ended up winning the national championship over Oklahoma.

Saban and the Tide, however, finished off their revenge in a big way the following season. Alabama beat Florida 32-13. Many fans called the “Gators died and Tebow cried” game that day. That 19-point loss ultimately launched the Saban/Alabama dynasty of the 2010s.

Saban defeated Meyer at another SEC meeting. But Bama’s 31-6 loss to Florida came during the regular season in 2010. Meyer ended up waiting four more seasons to deal with Saban and Alabama.

Now both will meet again, but at a festive event. And the CFB Hall of Fame finally adds two coaching legends who combined for 479 wins.