Dave Portnoy Accuses Ohio State Coach Ryan Day Of Getting Him Booted From Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff
Dave Portnoy turned his loud support for Michigan into a regular role on Fox's Big Noon Kickoff. Fox and Barstool Sports had joined forces on several college football projects, giving Portnoy another national platform for the rivalry talk that had already become part of his public image.
That made Ohio State an obvious problem area. Portnoy has spent years taking shots at the Buckeyes and Ryan Day, and those comments have created tension around some of his appearances near the program.
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The situation changed this week when Portnoy said he had learned he would no longer appear on Big Noon Kickoff. Andrew Marchand of The Athletic reported the change, and Portnoy quickly blamed Ohio State and Day for it.
Dec 14, 2024; Landover, Maryland, USA; Dave Portnoy, Bar Stool Sports founder and owner walks along the sidelines before the playing of the 125 Army Navy game at Commanders Field. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images
"Ohio State and Ryan Day bitched and moaned to the Big 10 and threatened Fox till they had no choice," Portnoy wrote on X. He then accused Day of repeatedly complaining about things he had said and called the Ohio State coach "Cryin Ryan."
Portnoy also said he understood why Fox would make that choice if the network believed the situation was hurting its business. "Juice wasn't worth the squeeze and frankly I don't blame them," he wrote.
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Those are Portnoy's claims. Marchand's reporting offered a different explanation, saying the issue was not tied to one specific incident. His sources described a broader problem with the fit between Fox's traditional television format and Barstool's style.
The Ohio State and Michigan rivalry was already part of it
Portnoy's history with Ohio State goes back several years. He is a Michigan graduate and donor, so his appearances around the Buckeyes have often carried a rivalry angle.
Barstool Sports founder and pizza influencer Dave Portnoy went on a four-shop tour of RI pizza places Thursday and stopped at Francesco's on Hope St. after owner Frank Schiavone got Portnoy's attention with some confident signage.
That tension became public before Ohio State's 2025 opener against Texas. Portnoy said he had been banned from Ohio Stadium, but Ohio State pushed back, saying Fox had decided where he would appear during the broadcast.
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Portnoy kept taking shots at the Buckeyes after that. His criticism of Day also continued, giving Ohio State plenty of reason to be aware of what he might say when he appeared on a national pregame show.
That does not prove the school pressured Fox this time. It does show that the relationship had a long history before Portnoy made his latest accusation.
Fox is still working with Barstool
The split is also narrower than it first sounds. Barstool Sports will continue its Wake Up Barstool program on FS1, and the company's own college football coverage will also continue.
That detail matters because Fox did not simply end every part of its relationship with Barstool. The change is centered on Big Noon Kickoff, where Portnoy's rivalry-driven style was most visible.
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Portnoy says Day and Ohio State pushed Fox into making that decision. Marchand's reporting points instead to a growing mismatch between the two sides, with the Ohio State disputes adding to the problem.
For now, Portnoy is off Big Noon Kickoff. The accusation has put Day and Ohio State at the center of the story, but the available reporting does not establish that they were responsible for his removal.
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The post Dave Portnoy Accuses Ohio State Coach Ryan Day Of Getting Him Booted From Fox's Big Noon Kickoff appeared first on Gridiron Heroics.
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