Finebaum Returns To ESPN After Absence Amid Senate Run Speculation

ESPN/SEC Network personality Paul Finebaum returned to ESPN’s airwaves on Tuesday morning after a week-long absence from the network’s main channel, following his OutKick.com interview with Clay Travis. In that interview, Finebaum expressed interest in running for a U.S. Senate seat in Alabama and criticized ESPN for preventing him from interviewing President Donald Trump in 2019.

Controversial Host Paul Finebaum Off ESPN Last Week

Finebaum Returned starting Tuesday

Finebaum reappeared on the “Get Up” morning show with Mike Greenberg, where he took aim at Penn State and Texas, both of which suffered their second losses of the season over the weekend. The Nittany Lions and Longhorns, preseason top-3 teams in most polls, now stand at 3-2 just one week into October.

On Monday, Clay Travis and other media outlets reported that Finebaum was not allowed to appear on ESPN’s main channel for several days following his OutKick remarks/interview with them. However, Finebaum continued to host his daily SEC Network/ESPN Radio simulcast show and appeared in his regular role on the “SEC Nation” pregame show on Saturday.

Hear T.J. Rives and Tyler Jones debate Finebaum’s absence and ESPN’s seemingly lame response on our “Last Word on Sports Media” podcast by clicking play below,

ESPN Made “Hollow Claim” About Finebaum’s Absence

ESPN public relations manager Bill Hofheimer refuted Travis’s report, calling it “TOTALLY FALSE” in an X post. However, according to OutKick’s Bobby Burack, when pressed for clarification on Finebaum’s absence from shows like SportsCenter, “Get Up” and “First Take,” ESPN stated that the network was providing opportunities to other college football analysts in case Finebaum pursues a Senate campaign run.

Finebaum also returned to “First Take” on Tuesday, where host Stephen A. Smith welcomed him warmly, saying, “It’s good to see you. I missed you last week, buddy.” Notably, Smith, who has openly discussed a potential presidential run, faced no similar restrictions and recently, signed a new five-year, $100 million-plus contract with ESPN.

Finebaum’s situation adds to ongoing scrutiny of ESPN’s handling of conservative voices. Former hosts Sage Steele, Samantha Ponder, and Ashley Brewer have claimed the network disciplined them or eventually ended their employment for expressing conservative views. This, while taking no comparable actions against those voicing leftist/liberal opinions on air.