Fox Sports pulled the plug on Dave Portnoy and Barstool Sports’ appearances on “Big Noon Kickoff” after just over a year, shaking up their lead college football gameday show. While The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand initially reported no specific reason for the abrupt timing, Portnoy himself is spilling the tea, saying Ohio State absolutely played a role in his removal.
Portnoy Blames “Cryin Ryan” Day For Fox Exit
Portnoy didn’t waste any time getting his side of the story out. He hit X, formerly Twitter, pretty quick to call out Ohio State head coach Ryan Day and the Buckeyes for “making threats every few days” about his role on the Fox show. Portnoy, who’s a known Michigan supporter, alum, and booster, has had issues with the Buckeyes before, so this isn’t exactly new beef. He flat out wrote that Ohio State and Ryan Day “b—-ed and moaned to the Big 10 and threatened Fox till they had no choice” but to cut him loose.
“Juice wasnt worth the squeeze amd frankly I dont blame them,” Portnoy posted. “Huge dollars at stake and you have Cryin Ryan throwing temper tantrums amd making threats every few days on something I said. I always knew Ryan Day was soft but holy s— even I didnt realize he was this soft.” Marchand’s reporting did follow up by saying the “constant challenge of trying to unite Fox Sports’ more traditional show with Barstool’s persona proved unsustainable,” but Ohio State officials only “referred all inquiries to Fox Sports.”
The “Highlight Tape” That Reportedly Sealed The Deal
Portnoy wasn’t done talking about it either. In a Monday interview with Front Office Sports, he dove even deeper into his perspective. He found out about his removal on a Thursday, and the reason he was given was simple: “Ohio State.” According to Portnoy, when Fox initially announced the deal with Barstool Sports, Ohio State objected instantly. Things got wild, apparently, with Fox executives getting shown a “30- to 45-minute highlight tape” of Portnoy “ripping Ohio State and Ryan Day” while in Columbus. Yeah, a full-on compilation of grievances.
Portnoy claims that Ohio State was “very upset that I would be added to Big Noon Kickoff” and that “any time anyone,not only me,would criticize Ohio State or Ryan Day, they would complain.” These complaints, according to Portnoy, would go straight to Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti, which then led to calls made to Fox, who eventually took it up with Portnoy himself. He said he was “put on the side” as a result.
This whole situation really shines a light on the behind-the-scenes drama and the power dynamic in college football media. What’s next for Portnoy and Barstool now that their Fox gig is over? You gotta wonder how this will influence the landscape of college football commentary and whether other personalities might face similar pressures from powerhouse programs. It’s a wild world out there for sure!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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