Two of the best college football teams in the nation will meet Saturday in Tuscaloosa for a potential SEC title game preview, and the Crimson Tide are hopeful that head coach Nick Saban will be allowed on the sideline pending the results of a COVID-19 test.
Saban, 68, tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday, but has remained asymptomatic. Alabama is hopeful that a series of tests will confirm that Saban’s initial positive was a false-positive result.
Following his initial positive result, Saban has tested negative for COVID-19 on Thursday and Friday. Per SEC regulations, there need to be three consecutive negatives, which each test at least 24 hours apart, for Saban to clear the coronavirus protocol and be eligible to coach.
Fortunately for the Crimson Tide, they have a few extra hours for Saban’s Saturday results to come in. Alabama hosts Georgia for a primetime game that kicks off at 8:00 p.m. ET, and ESPN reports that Saban’s test results should arrive Saturday afternoon.
In the event that Saban could not be on the sideline, he would not be allowed to have contact with his coaches and players remotely. Per NCAA rules, coaches are not allowed remote access to the sidelines when in quarantine.
Saban appeared on ESPN’s College GameDay on Saturday morning and says he’s still feeling healthy.
Saban said he’s feeling fine. pic.twitter.com/FPotTXnUMU
— Michael Casagrande (@ByCasagrande) October 17, 2020
[vertical-gallery id=954153]