WATCH: Nick Saban delivers warm speech after Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium becomes official

After 17 seasons as the head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide, Nick Saban announced his retirement back in January. Saban led them to six national championships and made Alabama one of the best college football teams in the country. He is now pursuing a new role in the world of broadcasting as part of the "College GameDay" crew this season.

Alabama can never forget his great contribution to their history and decided to honor him by renaming the playing field at Crimson Tide stadium "Saban Field." On Sept. 5, the Alabama Board of Trustees officially approved Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Saban gave a speech following the official announcement. He talked about how he hopes the field serves as a remembrance and legacy of everyone who worked hard to help the program be where it is today.

"This is an honor of a lifetime, no doubt. And I am just hopeful that this legacy of Saban Field is representative of all the people who contributed to the success over the last 17 years," Saban said. "That starts with all the players, all the coaches who were a part of it, all the fans and the support staff that gave us the opportunity to be successful.

"This is not something that you do on your own. You have to have a team, and the team has to be in alignment and endure from top to bottom. And that's always been the case here at the University of Alabama."

Kalen DeBoer was brought in as Saban's replacement in the offseason. The Crimson Tide won their Week 1 game against WKU 63-0 to kickstart a new era under DeBoer. They are scheduled to take on South Florida on Sept. 7 at around 7 pm ET.

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Kalen DeBoer received words of encouragement from Nick Saban ahead of Week 1 showdown

Before DeBoer made his official debut with the Crimson Tide this season, he received a call from Nick Saban. According to DeBoer, Saban reached out to wish him all the best for his debut and also gave his support and motivation to the team ahead of their 2024 campaign.

"We talked actually before the game. He gave me a call on Thursday, and that was really cool for the guys. He wanted me to pass along that he's thinking about them and wishing them the best and gonna be rooting for them."

Saban missed out on adding another national title to his trophy cabinet last season after they were eliminated by Michigan in the playoffs. Now, DeBoer has the chance to carry forward his legacy by winning a natty in his first season in Tuscaloosa. It will be interesting to see if Alabama can secure a berth in the new 12-team playoff format.