Paul Finebaum reveals why he never became a regular on College GameDay

Paul Finebaum is the foremost voice on SEC football and a well-respected voice for the sport across the country. That would seem to make him a likely candidate to be a regular on ESPN’s “College GameDay.”

In fact, Finebaum admitted recently on the “SI Media Podcast” that he had a chance to become a staple after appearing on the show during the 2013 season. Unfortunately, that chance was shot down by the creation of the SEC Network.

“It’s interesting. My first year which was 2013, the SEC Network had not launched,” said Finebaum. “Lee Fitting called and he asked would you like to do GameDay? I said yes, so he tried me out one week, I ended up doing it the entire season. He wanted me to become a regular the next year.”

That chance to be a regular was ultimately torpedoed after Finebaum was hired at the SEC Network with plans for him to lead the SEC Nation pre-game show. In fact, Finebaum says it resulted in “a tussle” between Fitting and the SEC Network bosses because they would not allow Finebaum to do GameDay.

“The only problem was I was the very first person hired by the SEC Network. And one of the main things I was hired for in addition to the (Paul Finebaum Show), was for the Saturday morning SEC Nation show,” Finebaum explained. “I can tell you now it became a bit of a tussle between Fitting and my bosses at the SEC Network, and they would not let me do GameDay.”

Finebaum clearly stated he was “not happy about the decision” while adding “There was nothing like doing GameDay.”

New SI MEDIA PODCAST with @finebaum:

• Why he’s not on College GameDay
• Fixes he’d make to CFB
• The art of interviewing
• Do coaches cover spreads for boosters
• Getting Lane Kiffin fired
• Ric Flair beef

Apple: https://t.co/ck0BFM7TyA
YouTube: https://t.co/6ILRt94HSD pic.twitter.com/I2dTw7EPSf

— Jimmy Traina (@JimmyTraina) October 11, 2024

So, there you have it! Finebaum had his shot to be a regular on GameDay, and it sure sounds like he would have continued in that role for some time if given the opportunity.

For now, fans of Finebaum will have to be content with his regular radio show and appearances across ESPN’s platforms outside of GameDay.

Paul Harvey

Paul Harvey lives in Atlanta and covers SEC football.