Dave Portnoy and Barstool Sports Exit Fox’s “Big Noon Kickoff”
Bharatmorning.com – Dave Portnoy and Barstool Sports will no longer appear on Fox’s college football pregame program, “Big Noon Kickoff,” ending a role that began during the previous season as part of a partnership between Barstool and Fox Sports.
A person familiar with the decision said the change has not yet been formally announced. Fox Sports declined to comment, while Ohio State directed questions involving Portnoy back to Fox.
Portnoy Points to Ohio State Dispute
Portnoy, the founder of Barstool Sports, publicly blamed Ohio State and football coach Ryan Day for his removal from the show. A Michigan graduate, Portnoy has frequently mocked the Buckeyes and has made Ohio State a recurring target of his college-football commentary.
“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,” Portnoy said in his post.
His criticism of Ohio State is not new. Before the Buckeyes’ season-opening game against Texas last year, Portnoy said Ohio State had barred him from entering Ohio Stadium.
Ohio State said that, during its planning discussions with Fox, the only on-air personnel expected inside the stadium were members of the primary desk team. Portnoy was not included in that group.
A High-Stakes Big Ten Television Relationship
The dispute arrives against the backdrop of Fox’s substantial investment in Big Ten football. Fox is the leading financial contributor in a seven-year media-rights arrangement that also includes NBC and CBS. The network also owns a 61% stake in the Big Ten Network.
“Big Noon Kickoff” is a prominent part of Fox’s Saturday college-football schedule, typically building coverage around one of the day’s major Big Ten matchups. The program’s regular group includes host Rob Stone and analysts Brady Quinn, Matt Leinart, Mark Ingram and Chris “The Bear” Fallica.
Portnoy’s involvement added a different type of personality to the broadcast: a highly visible digital-media figure with strong opinions, a devoted following and a reputation for direct, often provocative sports commentary. His affiliation with the show began after Barstool Sports and Fox Sports announced their partnership last fall.
What the Change Means for the Pregame Show
Removing Portnoy does not change the established core of “Big Noon Kickoff,” but it does eliminate a contributor whose college-football persona was closely connected to rivalries and fan reactions. His Michigan ties made Ohio State an especially predictable flashpoint, particularly during a period when the Buckeyes remain one of the conference’s most closely watched programs.
The situation also highlights the practical limits that can arise when a national media production works at university venues. Television networks coordinate access, production locations and on-site talent with schools hosting major games. Those arrangements can become more complicated when personalities involved in coverage are also closely associated with heated rivalries or public criticism of a host program.
For viewers, the immediate result is straightforward: Portnoy and Barstool Sports are no longer expected to be part of future “Big Noon Kickoff” appearances. The show’s main desk lineup remains centered on Stone, Quinn, Leinart, Ingram and Fallica, while Fox has not publicly detailed any replacement plans or further changes to the program.
Portnoy’s departure closes a brief but attention-grabbing chapter in the partnership between Barstool Sports and Fox Sports. The debate surrounding his role illustrates how college football’s biggest rivalries can extend well beyond the field, influencing television coverage, venue access and the public conversation around a game.
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