ESPN denies removing Paul Finebaum from network amid interest in Alabama senate race

ESPN denied multiple reports that they removed long time host Paul Finebaum from the network amid the latter’s interest in the Alabama senate race. OutKick’s Clay Travis first reported the news Monday and On3’s Pete Nakos confirmed shortly thereafter.

ESPN’s Bill Hofheimer, who is the VP of ESPN’s Public Relations Department, denied the report. He said so on social media immediately after Travis’ tweet.

“This is not true at all,” he wrote. “The below is TOTALLY FALSE.”

Hofheimer later confirmed to On3 that Finebaum is scheduled to appear on ESPN’s First Take on Tuesday. Finebaum typically appears on Tuesday’s show to recap the weekend in college football, usually alongside fellow ESPN college football analyst Heather Dinich.

Hofheimer’s tweet prompted another response from Travis. The OutKick founder stood by his reporting.

“LOL. This decision is above your pay grade, Bill. Why wasn’t Finebaum on Sunday AM SportsCenter yesterday,” Travis wrote. “Or First Take this morning? For the first time in over a decade? Reacting to one of the biggest college football weekends of the year? I stand by my sources.”

For context, Finebaum did not appear during his regular SportsCenter hit Sunday morning where he recaps the happenings in college football prior to an NFL slate. However, Finebaum was on ESPN’s College Football YouTube channel during his weekly appearance with SC anchor Matt Barrie on The Matt Barrie Show.

The origination of Finebaum considering politics stemmed from the assassination of political activist Charlie Kirk. Kirk was murdered on the campus of Utah Valley at a speaking engagement last month.

“I spent four hours numb talking about things that didn’t matter to me. And it kept building throughout that weekend,” Finebaum said of doing his radio show immediately after Kirk’s death. “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.”

When Finebaum’s thoughts of the Senate were first reported, he said he’d likely have a decision on his media future within “30-45 days.” As of this current timeline, that could come at the end of October or sometime in mid-November.

Finebaum actually opened up to Travis about his political allegiances last month, which he never really discussed while on the air for ESPN. He hosts his own radio show, plus has regular appearances on Get Up, First Take and SportsCenter, among others. Finebaum also said he voted for current President Donald Trump in the most recent election and added: “but (ESPN) also tells us not to discuss that.”

“I’ve never said this before, but why am I going to hold this back,” Finebaum said. “I just moved and registered in Alabama, but I am a registered Republican in North Carolina as of this hour. And I was a registered Republican in Alabama before I moved.”