ESPN's Paul Finebaum says he will not run for Alabama U.S. Senate after flirting with the idea

After months of thinking it over, ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum has decided he will not run for a Senate seat in Alabama. Despite calling his brief flirtation with the idea "gratifying and rewarding," Finebaum said he would instead turn his attention back to covering college football, according to AL.com.

Finebaum, 70, thanked everyone who reached out to him after he openly pondered running for office in Alabama, per AL.com.

"I have been deeply moved by so many people in Alabama who have reached out encouraging me to run for the United States Senate,” the ESPN and SEC Network analyst shared with AL.com in an exclusive statement.

“It has been a gratifying and rewarding experience.

“I am also appreciative of my bosses at ESPN for allowing me to explore this opportunity. But it’s time for me to devote my full attention to something everyone in Alabama can agree upon - our love of college football.”

Finebaum first floated the idea of a Senate run in September, when he told Outkick he was thinking about the idea "constantly."

If Finebaum ran, he would have tried to replace former Auburn football coach Tommy Tuberville, who announced in May that he'll run for governor in 2026. A handful of candidates have already announced their candidacy for Tuberville's open Senate seat.

With a Senate run no longer in the plans for Finebaum ... little will change for the long-time college-football analyst. While there was some drama over whether Finebaum was barred from appearing on ESPN after revealing he was considering running for office, the network said that wasn't the case. Finebaum appeared regularly on ESPN programs as he considered a Senate run.

He'll remain in that role, delighting — but mostly angering — fans of every SEC team for the foreseeable future.