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Big Ten responds to Paul Finebaum's apology after admitting it's the 'best conference in the country'

Barkley-Truaxby: Barkley Truax01/21/26BarkleyTruax

The Big Ten Conference accepted Paul Finebaum’s apology after the SEC Network host admitted it was the best conference in the country. Finebaum has been highly critical of the Big Ten, as well as Indiana amid its national championship run.

Now, the Big Ten has claimed the last three championships overall — Michigan in 2023, Ohio State in 2024 and now IU in 2025. The SEC hasn’t reached the championship game during that stretch.

“There can be debate on whether Indiana had the best season in college football history, but there can be no debate it is the greatest story in the history of the game,” Finebaum said on his show Wednesday. “And what made it even more amazing is how people misunderstood what Curt Cignetti was doing in Bloomington. Let me assure you, nobody was more incorrect in understanding that process than me.

“Almost everything I said throughout the season about him and about Indiana was wrong, and it was an epic failure on my part. There was no question Indiana was the best team, and yes, the Big Ten is the best conference in the country. We congratulate Coach Cignetti, Indiana and the Big Ten for an extraordinary run.”

The Big Ten Conference social media admin clipped the segment and responded for all of X to see. They accepted his apology.

“Thank you, (Paul Finebaum),” the conference’s X account wrote. “Apology accepted.”

Finebaum’s apology comes within SEC hasn’t been in the championship game at all since one of its programs ran the gauntlet within the CFP. Georgia’s championship win in 2022 was the second of back-to-back titles.

After Nick Saban retired, Kirby Smart became the only coach in the SEC to have won a national championship as head coach. Though Georgia has been to two College Football Playoffs in a row since, they’ve lost in the Sugar Bowl both seasons. This includes the 39-34 loss to Ole Miss from New Year’s Day.

Five SEC teams — Georgia, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Alabama and Oklahoma — occupied the 12-team playoff field, and it appeared as though the odds were in the conference’s favor. After the Rebels beat Tulane in the first round, it set up the Georgia-Ole Miss quarterfinal matchup.

This guaranteed the SEC a spot in the national semifinal. Still, it was the Big Ten (Indiana) and ACC (Miami) — whose conference champion was not a part of the playoff field — competing for a championship this past Monday.

The SEC is likely to have several teams projected as playoff contenders ahead of the 2026 season. However, it remains to be seen which program will answer that call.