Following his remarks about a potential Senate run, ESPN allegedly removed Paul Finebaum from its shows.
Paul Finebaum and his recent involvement with ESPN
Per sources: Disney/ESPN has removed @finebaum from appearing on @ESPN since his @outkick interview expressing interest in running as a Republican for senate in Alabama. ESPN has canceled all network appearances on all shows, including some that have occurred for a decade plus.
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) October 6, 2025
Was Finebaum removed from ESPN following an interview with Outkick?
That’s what Outkick founder Clay Travis reported on Monday. In a post on X, Travis wrote that Disney and ESPN removed Finebaum from appearing on ESPN since his Outkick interview last week.
ESPN’s Bill Hofheimer called Travis’ allegations “totally false.”
Travis replied to Hofheimer, “Please cite all @finebaum @espn appearances since Wednesday of last week, Bill. (Hint. There haven’t been any.) During one of the biggest college football weeks of the year. They’ve all been scheduled and then canceled.”
Since the Outkick interview, Finebaum has not been on ESPN network shows like First Take, Get Up, and SportsCenter. However, Finebaum’s radio show continues to be simulcast on ESPN Radio. Also, Finebaum appeared on the SEC Network on Saturday.
Please cite all @finebaum @espn appearances since Wednesday of last week, Bill. (Hint. There haven’t been any.) During one of the biggest college football weeks of the year. They’ve all been scheduled and then canceled. https://t.co/ZJ1Z65mJG9
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) October 6, 2025
Since Travis’ report, SBJ’s Austin Karp tweeted that ESPN never banned Finebaum. The prominent college football personality is scheduled to appear on First Take tomorrow morning.
ESPN has tried to cut back on allowing its personalities to comment on politics.
That doesn’t mean there aren’t exceptions. Stephen A. Smith, one of the five most important on-air talents at the company, is allowed to cover politics and share his opinions on daily issues on his podcast and Sirius XM radio show.
Smith recently signed a contract worth over $100 million, so he plays by different rules.
Sources confirm to @sbj that Paul Finebaum was never banned from ESPN airwaves and is scheduled for “First Take” tomorrow morning.
Has been on the schedule for a while now.
— Austin Karp (@AustinKarp) October 6, 2025
Paul Finebaum’s Outkick Interview Started This All
Is @finebaum considering a run for Senate?@ClayTravis pic.twitter.com/MuwCDoihJv
— OutKick (@Outkick) September 29, 2025
Last week, Finebaum sat down with Travis for an interview. During the conversation, Travis asked Finebaum if he had any interest in leaving sports for politics.
Finebaum said he is considering a run for the U.S. Senate opening in Alabama. One of the seats belongs to former Auburn head coach Tommy Tuberville, who plans to vacate his senatorial seat to run in the 2026 Alabama gubernatorial election.
Finebaum revealed that he is a registered Republican and voted for Donald Trump in 2024.
“I was very cautious. I didn’t take it too seriously,” Finebaum said to Outkick about crossing into politics. “And then ultimately, I ended up talking to someone who made it clear that there was a desire for me to be involved. And this person, obviously, that shall remain nameless, was compelling and compassionate in the approach to me, and I started thinking about this.”
In 2019, ESPN axed an interview Finebaum was supposed to conduct with Trump. This became a “turning point” in Finebaum’s career.
Finebaum will likely have to leave ESPN within the next month if he decides to run for office. If Trump asked Finebaum to run for office, the college football commenter said he would say yes.
