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Paul Finebaum Rant Reportedly Infuriated 'College GameDay' Crew

Originally posted on The Spun | By Tzvi Machlin | Last updated Jul 16, 2025 6:47 PM ET

Well, it looks like the College GameDay crew have something new in common with many of their fans: Getting annoyed at Paul Finebaum.

The tension apparently stemmed from the infamous diatribe Finebaum went on back in 2013 after then-USC head coach Lane Kiffin lost a game against Arizona State. Finebaum compared Kiffin to Miley Cyrus, asserting that Kiffin had "very little talent" but got attention anyway.

“How did someone like Lane Kiffin ever get these jobs?” Finebaum once said. “How did he land the (Oakland) Raiders job? At Tennessee? And particularly the one at SC? People think it’s because of his father, Monte, the great defensive wizard. In some respects, Lane Kiffin is the Miley Cyrus of college football. He has very little talent, but we simply can’t take our eyes off him.”

As it turns out, that comment not only soured his relationships on College GameDay, but caused tensions that lasted for years.

In a recent feature from The Athletic, Finebaum revealed that his own College GameDay colleagues were upset at him for multiple reasons. One reason was that everyone on the cast apparently liked Kiffin a lot and didn't appreciate him being insulted like that. The other was the fact that Finebaum apparently read off a notecard to make that take - a practice that's frowned upon during the show.

“He was not a likeable sort.”

Or at least that’s what people often think of Paul Finebaum, before they know him. On a professional hater’s soft, warm center. https://t.co/fbMO7hKF62
— Joe Rexrode (@joerexrode) July 15, 2025

"Not only did that turn out to be a bad take on both insulted parties, Finebaum says it infuriated the “GameDay” crew, because everyone liked Kiffin and because Finebaum read his takedown off a notecard — a no-no on a show that prides itself on being unscripted," Joe Rexrode wrote.

For decades Finebaum has found plenty of success poking various bears and levying insults in the name of entertainment. To his credit, it's worked for decades.

But not every insult is going to be found as humorous as he does.

Perhaps that's why Finebaum has lightened his tone a bit and eased up on some of the more personal attacks on people he takes issue with in recent years.

Some might think it's made Finebaum worse, but others certainly seem to think he's now better for it.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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