Paul Finebaum wouldn’t turn heel on the employer he’s worked for since 2013 — not even if doing so would help him unlock a spot in the U.S. Senate.
ESPN’s veteran college football personality, a star on TV, considered running for the open Senate seat in Alabama. A registered Republican, he would have entered a crowded GOP primary to vie for the seat that’s opening as Sen. Tommy Tuberville prepares to leave Washington D.C. in a run for governor.
Political strategists told Finebaum his path to winning the primary would need to involve turning his back on ESPN, Finebaum said during a recent appearance on USA TODAY Sports’
“College Football Unfiltered” podcast.
Finebaum couldn’t do that. Wouldn’t do that. In the end, he decided not to run.
“The reason I didn’t run … is that I was being told what to say,” Finebaum said on the “College Football Unfiltered” podcast. “The political pros — and these weren’t, like, local yokels; these were all Washington, D.C. people who had run presidential campaigns — they were telling me, ‘This is how you win. This is what you say.’
“I work at ESPN, which is owned by Disney. And the No. 1 thing they told me you have to do is say, ‘Disney is a terrible organization. It's woke.’”
That didn’t appeal to Finebaum, who started at ESPN more than 13 years ago. He appeared on “College GameDay” in 2013, when he delivered his infamous “Miley Cyrus” dig at Lane Kiffin, and he began hosting “The Paul Finebaum Show” on the SEC Network, owned by ESPN, in 2014.
Finebaum worked much of his career as a sports columnist and sports radio host in Alabama. He moved back to the state last year after several years away living in North Carolina, where the SEC Network is headquartered.
Finebaum enjoys peak name recognition in Alabama, an asset in any political race.
Finebaum said he was a registered Republican in North Carolina, too. He’s mostly held his political views close to the vest throughout his years hosting “The Paul Finebaum Show,” and he said he’s “apolitical when it comes to” doing his job.
Finebaum said a few influential figures in college sports, including Georgia coach Kirby Smart, Georgia President Jere Morehead and Mississippi State President Mark Keenum were among those who encouraged him to run.
Could Paul Finebaum have won U.S. Senate seat in Alabama?
To win a primary in Alabama, Finebaum would’ve needed to appeal to voters who support President Trump, who won Alabama by 30 points in the 2024 election. Trump endorsed Barry Moore, who won the primary and will run against Democrat Everett Wess in the November election.
If Finebaum had decided to run in the primary, he said he thinks it’s possible Trump would’ve wound up endorsing both Moore and Finebaum, a double endorsement like he did in the gubernatorial primary runoff in South Carolina.
Could Finebaum have won the primary in Alabama if he’d run?
“The only thing that concerned me, I was concerned that some of the callers would vote against me to try to keep me in my job,” Finebaum quipped.
What's next for Paul Finebaum?
Finebaum’s contract at ESPN is up in 2027.
He said he’s not thinking of running for office in the future.
“I understand the intoxicating part — and it is — but I just would never be comfortable in a position where I have to do what somebody tells me to do,” said Finebaum, 71.
“I have a taste for what I went through last year,” he added. “I just don't think it will be as an elected official.”
Be sure to check out USA TODAY Sports' new College Football Unfiltered podcast, hosted by columnist Blake Toppmeyer. You can stream episodes on YouTube or download via Apple podcasts, Spotify or iHeart.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why didn't Paul Finebaum run for Senate? ESPN star opens up about decision
