Nick Saban's retirement re-opens 30-day transfer portal window for Alabama's roster setup: Reports

Alabama is facing a major challenge to keep its roster intact after the shock retirement of Nick Saban, who coached the Crimson Tide for 28 years and won seven national championships.

The school confirmed Saban's decision on Wednesday, which triggered a special rule that allows Alabama players to transfer to other programs without penalty.

According to NCAA regulations, the transfer portal is reopened for 30 days whenever a coach leaves his position. It means that any Alabama player who wants to explore other options now has until Feb. 9 to do so. They can also transfer within the SEC conference, which is usually prohibited.

Some of the main points to remember in this situation are:

• Underclassmen’s transfer portal closed on Jan. 2, but Saban’s exit triggered a 30-day window for Bama players.
• Alabama players can transfer to any school, including SEC rivals, during this period.
• Alabama already lost 17 players to the transfer portal in December, but more could follow.

Alabama lost some players to the transfer portal, before Saban's announcement. Ten of them have already committed to new schools. The rest of the team will have to decide whether they want to stay in Tuscaloosa or look for new opportunities elsewhere.

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Why Nick Saban's legacy is unparalleled in college football history

Nick Saban

Nick Saban was the coach of Alabama for 17 years and achieved remarkable success.

He led the Crimson Tide to six national championships, 201 wins and 11 SEC titles in a very competitive conference. He has also coached Alabama to the No. 1 ranking in all but two seasons.

The former Alabama coach has transformed the programs he has coached-

• Saban ended LSU's long drought of national championships in 2003, and he revived Alabama's dynasty after a long period of mediocrity.
• Saban has also produced four Heisman Trophy winners, something that had never happened at Alabama before.

Saban's retirement might be a huge blow for Alabama's future prospects. It would create uncertainty and instability in the program and open the door for other teams to challenge Alabama's dominance.