FILE - In this Jan. 5, 2019, file photo, Alabama head coach Nick Saban speaks during media day for the NCAA college football playoff championship game, in Santa Clara, Calif. The mid-week news that Alabama coach Nick Saban tested positive for COVID-19 added a challenging backdrop for the seasons first Top 5 matchup. Saban figures to be communicating his marching orders and input from home while offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian is manning the show within the football building. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson, File)FILE - In this Aug. 31, 2020, file photo, Alabama head football coach Nick Saban leads his team as they march on campus, supporting the Black Lives Matter movement, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. The mid-week news that Alabama coach Nick Saban tested positive for COVID-19 added a challenging backdrop for the seasons first Top 5 matchup. Saban figures to be communicating his marching orders and input from home while offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian is manning the show within the football building. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt, File)
Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
FILE - In this Jan. 5, 2019, file photo, Alabama head coach Nick Saban speaks during media day for the NCAA college football playoff championship game, in Santa Clara, Calif. The mid-week news that Alabama coach Nick Saban tested positive for COVID-19 added a challenging backdrop for the seasons first Top 5 matchup. Saban figures to be communicating his marching orders and input from home while offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian is manning the show within the football building. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson, File)
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama coach Nick Saban will be back on the sideline against Georgia after all.
The Southeastern Conference cleared Saban on Saturday to coach in the game after he tested negative for COVID-19 the past three days.
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The move came hours ahead of Saturday night's game between the second-ranked Crimson Tide and No. 3 Bulldogs.
Saban had initially tested positive on Wednesday, along with athletic director Greg Byrne. Team physician Jimmy Robinson said Saban was tested the next three mornings, and the initial result was deemed a false positive.
“Those three negative tests satisfied the SEC protocol for a false positive,” Robinson said. “Out of an abundance of caution, two additional PCR tests were administered at the same time on Thursday and Friday and were tested by a separate lab. Those tests were also negative.”
The initial positive came from an outside lab Alabama had used to supplement the testing mandated by the SEC.
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