ESPN college football commentator Paul Finebaum is “considering” a run for Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s seat, saying he was motivated by the political assassination of Charlie Kirk.
“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,” Finebaum said in an exclusive on-camera interview with OutKick, a conservative sports website owned by Fox Corporation. “I gave some thought to it as the weekend (after Kirk’s death) unfolded and got a little bit more interested.”
“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,” he continued.
A registered Republican, Finebaum said he expects to reach a decision in the next “30 to 45 days” but a decision may come quicker if he’s asked by President Donald Trump.
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“Impossible to tell him no,” he told OutKick. “There’s no way I could. I would tell him yes.”
Senator @finebaum? Paul Finebaum is seriously considering entering the Alabama senate race. For the first time he publicly says he is a @realDonaldTrump supporter and voter. We sat down for a long form chat this weekend in Athens. pic.twitter.com/5TAzdykU13
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) September 29, 2025
Finebaum, a career journalist and radio personality, has been with ESPN since 2013 and is the face of the SEC Network. According to The Athletic, in 2024 he signed a multiyear extension to remain at the network.
Finebaum, 70, would be joining a host of other Republican candidates in the race, including Tuberville’s former staffer Morgan Murphy, Rep. Barry Moore, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, former Navy SEAL Jared Hudson and local businessman Rodney Walker.
Tuberville announced in May that he would be leaving the Senate to run for governor. Since then he has raised more than $5 million for his campaign.
“I will be the future governor of the great state of Alabama,” Tuberville said at his campaign announcement event. “I’ve still got 18 months to go with President Trump to make America great again. We’ve got a lot of work to do.”
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