For a while, it looked like ESPN and Paul Finebaum were at a stalemate in their contract negotiations, but then on Thursday, reports began to surface that the popular host would stay with the Worldwide Leader.

On Friday morning, ESPN released a statement confirming that Finebaum would indeed remain with the network and would continue to host his popular program on the SEC Network.

In a release from ESPN, Finebaum said he’s excited to continue his work for the company and with the SEC Network that he helped to popularize:

“I’m thrilled to be a member of the ESPN family and look forward to continuing our show on SEC Network,” Finebaum said. “I consider myself incredibly blessed to do this every day, and I’d like to thank everyone at ESPN, as well as all of our loyal listeners and viewers, for their support.”

ESPN also released a statement, saying the company looks forward to seeing “The Paul Finebaum Show” continue to grow over the coming years:

“Paul is one of the most compelling personalities on SEC Network and ESPN,” said Stephanie Druley, Senior Vice President, ESPN events and studio production. “His passion for the SEC and its fan base is evident every day on The Paul Finebaum Show. Over his years on SEC Network, Paul and his callers have delivered daily with captivating debate and light-hearted humor. We look forward to enjoying The Paul Finebaum Show, and Paul’s varied and valued contributions to our studio show programming, as we head into yet another jam-packed football season.”

It is not known at this time what the terms of Finebaum’s new contract are, but that information could come to light in the coming days.

For now, though, it’ll be business as usual for Finebaum, who will be gearing up for next week’s SEC Media Days in Atlanta.