ESPN and SEC Network host Paul Finebaum announced that he won't run for the Alabama U.S. Senate seat currently held by former Auburn Tigers head coach Tommy Tuberville in an exclusive statement to AL.com on Tuesday (December 2).

“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. But it’s time for me to devote my full attention to something everyone in Alabama can agree upon - our love of college football.”

Finebaum, 70, previously revealed that he was "considering" leaving the network to run for the U.S. Senate seat in Alabama on the Republican ticket in an exclusive interview with OutKick's Clay Travis published in September 29. The veteran broadcaster said he struggled to continue doing his daily call-in show following the assassination of conservative political activist Charlie Kirk earlier in the month, which made him rethink his priorities.

“I spent four hours numb talking about things that didn’t matter to me. And it kept building throughout that weekend,” Finebaum said. “I felt very empty doing what I was doing that day … “It’s hard to describe, not being involved in politics, how that affected me and affected tens of millions of people all over this country. And it was an awakening.”

“One or two people in Washington had reached out to me about whether I would be interested in politics, something I never thought about before. Something I didn’t really think possible,” he added. “I gave some thought to it as the [after Kirk’s murder] weekend unfolded and got a little bit more interested.”

Finebaum claims he changed his perspective on the U.S. Senate seat when Tuberville announced his decision to vacate the seat in order to run for governor. Former Auburn men's basketball head coach Bruce Pearl was rumored to be considered a campaign for the open seat following his sudden retirement in September, but confirmed he had no plans to do so.

“I was… hesitant at first because I was very aware of Bruce’s interest and [I’m a] huge fan of Bruce … I didn’t take it too seriously,” Finebaum said. “I ended up talking to someone … who made it clear that there was a desire for me to be involved. And this person … was compelling and compassionate in the approach to me, and I started thinking about this.”

Finebaum had never previously revealed his political allegiances publicly, acknowledging that he voted for President Donald Trump in the 2024 election but claimed that ESPN warned its on-air talent "not to discuss that.” The veteran broadcaster is one of college football's most recognizable personalities, having hosted his titular call-in radio show primarily focused on SEC football for decades prior to joining ESPN and the SEC Network in 2013.

Mandy Connell