Paul Finebaum reacts to Aden Holloway transferring from Auburn to Alabama: 'It's a different world'

Aden Holloway became a new public enemy at Auburn over the weekend with the former Tiger committing to Alabama of all places out of the transfer portal. However, to Paul Finebaum, it’s just the way of things now when it comes to player movement these days.

Finebaum discussed Holloway’s transfer from The Plains to T-Town during ‘McElroy and Cubelic In The Morning’ on Monday. He is just of the opinion that moves like that don’t bother the people involved in those choices anymore, especially this new generation of players, even if it still bothers those in the respective, rival fanbases.

“Yeah, I do think it’s a different world,” said Finebaum. “I mean there was a time – and I know everybody kind of rolls their eyes when somebody like me goes old school. But there were Auburn coaches or Alabama coaches who once considered maybe going to the other place. The line was always if you even looked down there to consider it, you’re done here but that’s changed. The rivalry is still fierce but it is not as much of life or death anymore.”

‘These young guys are always just looking for opportunities. I don’t think the same rules apply that maybe did 30 or 40 years ago. I mean I don’t have a problem with it. The young player just goes, ‘You know what? I’m going to go over there,'” Finebaum said. “I don’t think they look at it quite the same way as maybe we did. Or people older than me did, I should say.”

Still, Greg McElroy, a Crimson Tide alum himself, questioned it further as something that’s a tough pill to swallow. Finebaum maintained his position, though, that it’s a new era, regardless of how much disdain there still is between the two schools.

“Well, I think it is, especially when you go back, what, three or four weeks? Bruce Pearl was commenting about the Final Four for Alabama. He publicly said, ‘I can’t even say Roll Tide’. I mean I don’t know,” said Finebaum. “It cuts both ways but it’s funny. I was talking to Jalen Milroe about a week ago. I brought up The Gravedigger play. It was like he was explaining it to me. He said, ‘You know, this Alabama-Auburn thing is pretty intense in the state. So, whenever I can, I make sure people from Auburn know about that play.'”

“I don’t think anything sticks forever,” Finebaum said. “Going back 40 years, Ray Perkins, who followed Bear Bryant at Alabama, said going into his first Iron Bowl that, if you lose this game, it sticks with you for 365 days. People talk about it, people make fun of it.”

Holloway, a former four-star, Top-20 recruit and the No. 2 CG from last year’s recruiting class, was clearly Auburn’s top commitment for this past season. He appeared in 35 games for the Tigers, including 26 starts, and averaged 7.3 points and 2.7 assists while shooting 31.8% overall and 30.2% from three as a freshman.

Holloway then entered the portal after the season. He ended up taking a visit and went on to commit to his former team’s rival on Saturday. That gave Alabama the No. 75 overall transfer and the No. 10 CG in On3’s 2024 Transfer Portal Top Players. It also brought in the third transfer for the Tide alongside Houston Mallette (Pepperdine) and Chris Youngblood (USF).

With all that said, Finebaum gets that this is now the way things are now as players are free to transfer anywhere, including to rivals. He sees that it doesn’t matter as much as it used to with many people’s attention turned elsewhere.

“I would argue that, today, it’s a little bit different because there are so many other factors to get to the championship, to get to what coaches in whatever sport they’re playing in are trying to achieve,” said Finebaum.

Inter-rival transfers don’t bother as many people as they once did. With that said, that doesn’t mean that’s the case for the two fanbases in Alabama, which is why at least two games for Holloway next season, specifically the one back in The Jungle, will get quite interesting.

“Ultimately, it matters more for somebody to go from one school to the other in Alabama than for an Auburn player to go, ‘You know what? I’m going to Connecticut,'” Finebaum said.