Dave Portnoy puts Ohio State, 'Crying Ryan Day' on blast after FOX Big Noon Kickoff decision

Dave Portnoy isn’t backing down. On Monday, Front Office Sports‘ Ryan Glasspiegel reported Ohio State had banned Portnoy from entering Ohio Stadium as part of the Big Noon Kickoff crew, which the Barstool Sports founder is joining this season after striking an agreement with FOX Sports in July.

Alas, on Tuesday morning, Ohio State athletic director Ross Bjork refuted Glasspiegel’s report and the university released a statement claiming it was FOX Sports’ decision to not bring Portnoy into the stadium. Naturally, it didn’t take long for Portnoy to pull back the curtain on the murky situation.

“The big story involving me right now is Ohio State banning me from entering the Shoe to be part of Big Noon Kickoff on the field,” Portnoy said in a video posted on X. “They also banned the Barstool Sports college football show. We were supposed to be in Columbus. We talked about being in Columbus, and then we got word that Ohio State was not going to allow us to be on campus with Big Noon Kickoff.

“Listen, this is a unique spot for me because I always just sling it and say what’s happening… Now, we formed this big relationship with Fox, and I’m always cognizant of our partners and trying to do right by them. And they definitely got put in a weird spot because they didn’t see this. How could anybody see that crying Ryan Day and Ohio State would be this soft?”

It’s no secret that Portnoy isn’t exactly on good terms with Ohio State. He is an outspoken Michigan fan and reportedly played a significant role in the Wolverines landing five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood last year.

When Portnoy announced Barstool Sports‘ partnership with FOX Sports, he specifically insulted Ohio State, along with other Big Ten teams. Portnoy believes Ohio State is banning him from the stadium due to his Michigan fandom, and FOX Sports can’t fight back due to its longstanding relationship with the school.

“This is my advice, and this is why we kick your ass inside out every single Thanksgiving Day weekend,” Portnoy said. “Stop making excuses. Stop crying about planting flags. Stop crying about the hammer and Connor Stalions. Just own up. Be like, ‘You know what? Michigan is a bully, and they beat the piss out of us. And when they walk down the street, we cross to the other side, and we gotta get better.

“… Just own what you do. Don’t hide. ‘Oh, we didn’t ban them.’ You banned me. You’re scared of Michigan. And the only way you guys are ever gonna compete with us again is if you can look yourselves in the mirror and be honest with yourselves… Just look in the mirror and say, ‘We’re weak, we’re soft, and until we get better, we’re never gonna beat this team.'”