Overview
- Finebaum told AL.com he will not enter the 2026 U.S. Senate race in Alabama and will devote his attention to college football.
- He thanked ESPN for allowing him to explore the option, and a network spokesperson confirmed he will continue in his regular roles.
- Finebaum had publicly weighed a Republican bid since late September, saying Charlie Kirk’s Sept. 10 assassination led him to consider politics.
- The qualifying window for the Alabama race runs Jan. 5–23, 2026, with the GOP primary set for May 19, and candidates already include Steve Marshall, Barry Moore, Jared Hudson and Morgan Murphy.
- Reports that ESPN pulled Finebaum from its platforms after his OutKick interview were disputed by the network, which called those claims totally false.