Paul Finebaum's radio silence has an end date: Aug. 1.

Finebaum, the polarizing personality of college football's signature call-in show, is leaving the Birmingham, Ala., market where his contract expired in January, for Charlotte, N.C., and a national forum: ESPN. His multi-tiered platform will include a radio program on ESPN networks, 100 televised appearances annually on ESPN and a TV simulcast of his radio show on the ESPN-owned SEC Network launching in August 2014.

"It would be the understatement of my life to say I wasn't thrilled," Finebaum said. "It is incredibly exciting to be part of a new adventure, particularly one that involves the premier brand in sports along with the pre-eminent conference in sports." Finebaum has a five-year contract. Neither he nor ESPN would give financial details.

To non-sports fans, Finebaum's name might be as foreign as the wishbone offense. But in the burgeoning world of sports media, particularly in the South, he is a superstar. His four-hour daily show was syndicated on nearly 30 stations across the South and revolved around legions of listeners who called in daily to hail a team, blast a foe or even confess a crime: An Alabama fan once revealed on the show how he poisoned beloved trees on Auburn's campus. As the Southeastern Conference's dominance grew—the SEC has won the past seven major-college football national championships—Finebaum's show became the laundry-strewn palace balcony from which to crow.

"What is striking is he is such a great moderator-slash-provocateur of the emotion that lives within the fan base," said Justin Connolly, the senior vice president for programming who will oversee the SEC Network for ESPN. "To be able to bring him aboard onto the team here is significant."