Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy was set to make his regularly-scheduled appearance on Fox Sports’ Big Noon Kickoff on Saturday, October 3, before, he says, Ohio State head football coach Ryan Day stepped in.
“Just was told @AndrewMarchand is about to release an article saying I’ve been put on ice for @BNKonFOX,” Portnoy, 49, wrote via X on Friday, October 2. “I haven’t seen the article yet and he didn’t call me for a quote but I can sum it up this way.”
Portnoy continued, “Ohio State and Ryan Day bitched and moaned to the Big 10 and threatened Fox till they had no choice. Juice wasn’t worth the squeeze and frankly I don’t blame them. Huge dollars at stake and you have Cryin Ryan throwing temper tantrums and making threats every few days on something I said. I always knew Ryan Day was soft but holy s*** even I didn’t realize he was this soft 😂#Goblue.”
Fox Sports and Barstool entered into an agreement before the 2025 college football season, part of which included Portnoy and other Barstool personalities appearing weekly on Big Noon Kickoff.
The show was in Minnesota on Saturday for the University of Michigan’s game against the Golden Gophers. Portnoy is a Michigan alum.
The previous week, Big Noon Kickoff was at Ohio State, Michigan’s arch rival. Portnoy said that ahead of that game, the school decided that if Portnoy was on the show, Fox Sports personnel would have their access restricted.
“Ohio State has relentlessly complained to Fox,” Portnoy told The Athletic.
Reached for comment by the outlet, Ohio State referred inquiries to Fox Sports, which declined to comment on the matter.
Sources told The Athletic that there was no one reason for the abrupt decision by Fox to axe Portnoy’s appearance, but “the constant challenge of trying to unite Fox Sports’ more traditional show with Barstool’s persona proved unsustainable.”
The controversy comes one year after Portnoy claimed he had been banned from Ohio State’s Ohio Stadium, though the university’s athletic director, Ross Bjork, has repeatedly said that’s not the case.
Portnoy also posted on September 24, two days before Big Noon Kickoff was set to travel to Ohio State, that the Barstool crew would not be there, writing, “We asked, and Ohio said we’re still not allowed.”
“The Barstool College Football [Show] will continue on,” Portnoy wrote via X on Friday. “Maybe we’ll even see you in Columbus where contrary to popular belief most fans love the rivalry and aren’t p*****s like Cryin Ryan.”
He also doubled down on his accusation that Day, 47, was the reason for his absence this weekend when a commenter suggested he was blaming Day “for all that goes on with you.”
“Wrong!” Portnoy responded. “I do not blame Ryan Day for me getting fired from WEEI, ESPN, or banned from the NFL. However he very certainly got me fired from @BNKonFOX.”
