Paul Finebaum Names College Football Powerhouse That’s No Longer Relevant
Paul Finebaum put Miami back in the spotlight after brushing off the Hurricanes’ place in the national conversation on his show. The comment landed after Miami’s recent surge, including a 2025 run that ended in the national championship game. In the view of Paul Finebaum, the program remains tied to its past more than its present.
Paul Finebaum and Miami’s recent surge
Miami’s case is built on a sharp rise after years of uneven results. The Hurricanes won five national championships in their history, but since their last title in 2001, the program has posted just five double-digit win seasons. Two of those seasons have come in the last two years, with the team going 10-3 in 2024 and then 13-3 in 2025.
That 2024 team likely would have reached the College Football Playoff if not for a late collapse against Syracuse in the regular-season finale. The 2025 group did reach the playoff despite not winning the ACC Championship Game, then beat Texas A& M, defending champion Ohio State and Ole Miss before falling 27-21 to Indiana in the national championship.
What Paul Finebaum said on air
Paul Finebaum dismissed Miami’s relevance while responding to a caller on “The Paul Finebaum Show. ” He said, “He’s been promoting them for the last 25 years. Since the last time they were relevant. ”
The remark stood in direct tension with Miami’s results over the last two seasons. A team that reaches the national championship game in the expanded playoff era is hard to ignore, especially after beating multiple high-profile opponents on the way there. Still, Paul Finebaum framed the discussion as one about the program’s long drought rather than its current run.
Why the comment hit a nerve
Miami’s recent path has reopened the debate over what relevance means in modern college football. The Hurricanes have strong NIL infrastructure and access to other advantages that matter in today’s game. That combination, paired with the playoff run, gives the program a stronger national profile than the dismissal suggested.
For college football observers, the dispute is not just about one team. It is about whether a traditional name has to dominate for years to count as relevant, or whether a championship run is enough to demand respect. Paul Finebaum chose the first standard, even as Miami’s results point to the second.
What comes next for Miami
The next test is whether Miami can turn this surge into sustained success rather than another short peak. The program has already shown it can reach the sport’s biggest stage again, and that alone keeps it in the center of the conversation. For now, the argument sparked by Paul Finebaum is likely to follow the Hurricanes into the next stretch of the season and beyond.
