Nick Saban receives FCC criticism for 'profanity stuffed in my face' on College GameDay

Whether it was at an Alabama practice, his weekly press conferences or on the set of ESPN’s College GameDay, Nick Saban has never had much of a filter. Anyone remember “shit through a tin horn”?

In the first year of his post-coaching career as an analyst of College GameDay, the seven-time national champion head coach was known to drop a colloquial profanity or two, usually to raucous laughter from his on-set colleagues.

Except, as it turns out, not everyone was laughing at Nick Saban‘s foul language during ESPN’s premier Saturday morning pregame show.

Recently, AL.com submitted FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) requests to the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) specifically seeking any criticism filed against Saban for his on-air profanity and received three obscenity complaints from angry fans, though none originating from Saban’s adopted home state of Alabama.

“Nick Saban said the word shit twice, bitch once and something else I can’t remember,” one complaint from Missouri read, according to AL.com. “I tune (in) to gain knowledge and insight on college football, not to have profanity stuffed in my face by a former coach trying to be funny. It will continue until you (fine) them a million dollars or more. Chinchy fines accomplish nothing.”

The above complaint was received by the FCC at approximately 12:03 pm ET, within minutes of the conclusion of Dec. 7, 2024 episode of College GameDay in which Saban argued against conferences fining schools due to a string of flag-planting instances across college football the week prior.

“I think to fine these schools $100,000 is like worrying about mouse manure when you’re up to ears in elephant shit,” Saban said on ESPN, according to AL.com, which acknowledged the quip was one of several profanities the former Alabama coach used on that particular show.

FCC complaint: ‘Today Nick Saban used the profane word “bullshit” on air’

Another complaint was received just 18 minutes later, and also mentioned fellow GameDay analyst Pat McAfee, who is known to use choice language himself, so much so that ESPN is regularly muting its telecast of his daily The Pat McAfee Show that airs Monday-Friday at noon ET on ESPN.

“I continually hear profanity on College Gameday which airs on ESPN,” the second complaint, from North Carolina, read, according to AL.com. “The show comes on at 9 am to 12 noon. Children are obviously awake and can be exposed to this broadcast. Today Nick Saban used the profane word ‘bullshit’ on air. Most every show I watch Pat McAfee is using profanity. I don’t understand why the FCC is not (stopping) this. The window is 6am to 10pm for children sensitive programming. No one is able to sit down with their children and watch a football show without exposing them to the profanity.”

Despite the existence of these complaints, the FCC’s enforcement actions log doesn’t show ESPN received any penalties last year.

In response to AL.com’s FOIA request, the FCC acknowledged that complaints don’t automatically mean an actual violation occurred.

The third complaint was filed a month after the first two, during College GameDay’s coverage of the College Football Playoff, specifically ahead of the Ohio State–Texas national semifinal game Jan. 10, and effectively named most of the show’s cast.

“College Gameday announcers continue to use profanity during their prime time broadcast,” the complainant from Virginia wrote, according to AL.com. “During the Ohio State vs Texas game, Desmond Howard and Pat (McAfee) used inappropriate language for a family event. Nick Saban has used inappropriate language during a broadcast as well. If these men want to use this language, please schedule the games after 9pm.”