Paul Finebaum said in September that he had interest in running for Tommy Tuberville’s U.S. Senate seat. Scott Halleran / Getty Images
ESPN personality Paul Finebaum has elected not to run for Alabama’s open seat in the U.S. Senate.
“It’s time for me to devote my full attention to something everyone in Alabama can agree upon — our love of college football,” Finebaum confirmed to The Athletic.
AL.com first reported a statement.
In September, Finebaum said he was mulling a run as a Republican to replace former Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville as one of Alabama’s two U.S. Senators.
“I have been deeply moved by so many people in Alabama who have reached out encouraging me to run for the United States Senate,” Finebaum said. “It has been a gratifying and rewarding experience. “I am also appreciative of my bosses at ESPN for allowing me to explore this opportunity.”
Finebaum, though, plans to stay at ESPN after signing a new contract in 2024. He did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Athletic.
Finebaum began his career as a newspaper reporter and columnist in Birmingham, Ala., in the 1980s. He later transitioned into radio and became the namesake of “The Paul Finebaum Show,” which was syndicated across the southeast.
When ESPN launched the SEC Network in 2013, he joined as the face and has been with ESPN since.
He recently relocated from Charlotte, N.C., where the network is headquartered, back to his longtime home in Alabama.
Finebaum said in September that the assassination of Charlie Kirk influenced his decision to explore a future in politics. The deadline to officially enter the primary is Jan. 23.
Former Auburn basketball coach Bruce Pearl, who abruptly retired in September, was rumored to be a candidate for the open seat but also elected not to run.
Dec 2, 2025
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