Ohio State denies preventing Barstool Sports founder and Michigan alumnus Dave Portnoy from Ohio Stadium for his confrontation with Texas.
Ohio State Denies Banning Dave Portnoy from "Big Noon Kickoff" Show
Dave Portnoy, the founder of Barstool Sports, has claimed that Ohio State University has tried to keep him out of Ohio Stadium for the upcoming college football game against Texas. However, Ohio State has denied banning Portnoy and instead blamed Fox Sports for the decision.
According to reports, Portnoy has been critical of Ohio State, particularly after Michigan has won four straight games against them in football. This criticism has not been welcomed by Ohio State, leading to the controversy surrounding Portnoy's appearance on Fox Sports' "Big Noon Kickoff" show for the game.
Fox's pregame show for the game has a partnership with Barstool Sports and Dave Portnoy. However, Ohio State stated that during planning meetings with Fox, Fox representatives informed the university that only the main set/desk talent team would be inside Ohio Stadium for the last hour of the show, and that Portnoy is not part of the main desk crew.
Ohio State University is set to play Texas in a major college football game on the first major weekend of action. The game will be broadcast by Fox as its flagship "Big Noon Saturday" broadcast.
Portnoy has shared his side of the story in a video, expressing skepticism about Ohio State's explanation and comparing it to "selling ice to Eskimos." He believes the sting of that loss and the prospect of a prominent Michigan alumnus being on their home field led to his exclusion from the game. Portnoy also compared the situation to Ohio State being "broken" and suggested that Ohio State athletic director Ross Bjork is hiding the truth about the decision.
CNN has reached out to Fox Sports for comment, but as of now, there has been no response. Portnoy believes Ohio State is scared of Michigan and wants them to focus on the upcoming game instead of making excuses. Last year's loss to Michigan, which Ohio State later won the national championship, has been a point of contention for Portnoy.
Despite the controversy, the "Big Noon Kickoff" show will go on as planned, with Portnoy not appearing inside Ohio Stadium. However, the incident has sparked a debate about freedom of speech and the role of media personalities in college sports. As the game approaches, fans will be eager to see how Ohio State performs against Texas and whether Portnoy's exclusion from the show will have any impact on the game's outcome.
