Finebaum’s Realization on SEC’s Decline
It’s safe to say that Paul Finebaum, the ESPN analyst, has carved out a place for himself in the national sports media landscape, largely due to the Southeastern Conference’s (SEC) dominance in college football. However, even he now seems to recognize a shift.
After a lackluster 2-7 record for the SEC against non-conference teams this bowl season, Finebaum candidly admitted that defending the SEC’s performance is becoming increasingly challenging. “Amina, I disagree with our agreement,” Finebaum stated on a recent episode of First Take. “I was once on that hill, Stephen A. I’m finished. There’s no salvaging the SEC. It’s a dire situation. Someone at the SEC should be whispering, ‘Hey, Ole Miss could turn things around.’ That might cushion some of the pain, but it’s been a rough season for the SEC.”
Finebaum discussed how ranking systems in the SEC resemble a pyramid scheme, inflating the status of mid-major teams like Missouri and Tennessee to boost the appearance of teams like Georgia and Alabama when they succeed. This “gauntlet” notion leads voters to believe that teams like Alabama and Georgia have navigated a tough SEC and should be prioritized over others like Notre Dame.
However, as Finebaum pointed out, the vulnerabilities in this practice became evident during the 2025 bowl season.
“I kept defending Alabama, reminding you, Stephen A., of their mid-season turnaround,” Finebaum reflected. “But many of the teams they overcame weren’t strong in the end. They lost their bowl games and didn’t perform well. It’s indeed a hard year for the SEC. Regardless of how Lane Kiffin’s story unfolds, if Ole Miss falters on Thursday, I’ll find myself saying, ‘How can I still defend this league?’ Meanwhile, Stephen A. will say, ‘It’s no surprise we haven’t seen an SEC team in three years.’
Despite these challenges, the SEC maintains a robust relationship with ESPN, which leverages the viewership from SEC broadcasts and its ability to promote the conference through various media outlets. This will help reinforce the image of the SEC as a top-tier brand in college football. Yet, as voters prepare for next year’s Associated Press and College Football Playoff rankings, they will have compelling evidence that the SEC’s power may be waning.
