Big Ten, FOX clarify Dave Portnoy’s reported Ohio State “ban” amid Big Noon Kickoff plans
Dave Portnoy is already making waves in college football, even before his first appearance on FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff. Earlier this week, reports claimed he had been banned from entering Ohio Stadium for this weekend’s season opener between No. 1 Texas and No. 3 Ohio State.
However, according to Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger, that’s not entirely accurate. Portnoy — the Barstool Sports founder and well-known Michigan alum — isn’t being specifically targeted by Ohio State. Instead, he won’t be appearing inside any Big Ten stadium in 2025, per FOX’s production plans.
“A Big Ten spokesperson tells @YahooSports that it is the league’s understanding from FOX that Dave Portnoy will not appear on Big Noon Kickoff’s main stage inside the stadium of any conference school this year,” Dellenger reported on Tuesday.
The clarification followed Ohio State Athletic Director Ross Bjork’s own comments to Dellenger after the rumored “ban” blew up on social media. Bjork explained that since Portnoy isn’t slated to be on the show’s main desk, it’s typical that such contributors don’t appear on the field when FOX broadcasts from campus. He emphasized that this is a FOX call — not a university-issued restriction.
“Ohio State did not issue a ban on Dave Portnoy,” Dellenger quoted Bjork as saying. “FOX decided Portnoy would not be on the main desk of Big Noon Kickoff, and those not on the desk do not normally appear on the field. These are FOX decisions.”
The confusion began when Ryan Glasspiegel of Front Office Sports reported that Ohio State was “barring” Portnoy and Barstool from Ohio Stadium after his debut on the show earlier that day. The report quickly spread online, fueled by the long-standing Michigan–Ohio State rivalry and Portnoy’s polarizing presence.
Portnoy later responded to Dellenger’s update with a jab at the rivalry, tweeting: “I love this f***ing rivalry… one team has to win once in a while for it to be considered a rivalry.”
Despite the initial backlash directed at Ohio State, the fuller context from Dellenger and Bjork suggests this situation was mischaracterized — and ultimately stems from FOX’s own broadcasting decisions, not any form of ban by the school itself.
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