Finebaum joins Champion at 11 a.m. ET for a special SC Coast-to-Coast duo

Today Paul Finebaum, host of SEC Network’s The Paul Finebaum Show and College GameDay and SportsCenter contributor will be co-hosting SportsCenter Coast to Coast for the very first time. Finebaum will be alongside Cari Champion while her usual co-host David Lloyd is out.

Finebaum told Champion and Lloyd on Friday that he’s been waiting for this moment all of his life (see video above).

“For me, this is tantamount to winning ‘American Idol.’ Instead of getting a record deal and opening for Taylor Swift, you get to anchor with Cari. While I am taking it very seriously in terms of preparation and content, I am also going to enjoy every minute for a couple of reasons,” said Finebaum.

“One, the odds of ever being invited back are approximately a bazillion-to-1. In the past, SportsCenter has had famous and funny people like [comedians] Ken Jeong and Billy Crystal as co-hosts. People still talk about those shows. My appearance will likely be forgotten by the time Outside the Lines comes on the air. But at least I can brag to my friends that I co-hosted before former President Obama. And most important, working with Cari will be so cool for she is someone I respect and adore (please keep that quiet!).”

Before hosting his show on SEC Network, Finebaum was an award-winning journalist and reporter in Birmingham, Ala., who says he has always admired the brand.

“As a journalist before coming to ESPN, the SportsCenter brand has always been sacrosanct. It has always stood above everything else,” said Finebaum. “And every time I have been on, it has been incredibly special and memorable. I can walk through airports across the country, if not the world, and someone will look at me, with no clue of my name, and say: ‘Saw you on SportsCenter.’ There is nothing quite like it in our profession.”

Viewers can catch Finebaum’s hosting debut with Champion today on SportsCenter Coast to Coast at 11 a.m. ET on ESPN.