Dave Portnoy responds to Ohio State banning him from Big Noon Kickoff debut at The Shoe

Dave Portnoy might be banned from Ohio Stadium for a Week 1 matchup between Ohio State and Texas, but that doesn’t mean he won’t try to find a way in. The Barstool Sports founder was supposed to be there as part of FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff pregame show, but it was reported Monday that the Buckeyes had barred him from entering the stadium.

Portnoy responded to the news on social media in hilarious fashion. He quoted the report from Front Office Sports with a picture of himself wearing a fake mustache. It was a callback to when he was banned from attending Super Bowl LIII between the Rams and Patriots. Portnoy tried to sneak into the stadium for that game but was ultimately escorted out by staff.

https://t.co/iZtAt2rGDw pic.twitter.com/V5NotTorNy

— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) August 26, 2025

That wasn’t the only shot that Portnoy, who is a noted Michigan fan, took at Ohio State on social media. He also tweeted “I f***ing love this rivalry,” before adding an asterisk and writing “one team has to win every once in a while for it to be considered a rivalry.” The Wolverines have won the past four meetings against the Buckeyes.

Although Portnoy will not be allowed in the stadium, he will still be present on Big Noon Kickoff for the portion of the show that does not take place inside the stadium. This is his first season as part of the crew that also features Rob Stone, Mark Ingram, Urban Meyer, Matt Leinart and Brady Quinn.

It seems that Ohio State’s ban of Dave Portnoy comes simply because he is a Michigan fan. He is not afraid to be vocal about his support of the Wolverines on social media either.

Former Five-Star Plus+ quarterback Bryce Underwood‘s landing in Ann Arbor also involved Portnoy. Alongside the wife of Larry Ellison, Jolin, they were able to get Underwood to flip from LSU and play his college football for Michigan.

“I got a call from the Michigan football team,” Portnoy said in November. “They said, ‘Hey, there’s this donor who wants to talk to you.’ I said I’m doing this [landing Underwood] by myself, and I don’t need to talk to anybody. And they said, ‘Please, this woman is a big fan of Barstool and you; she’d love to talk to you. Her name is Jolin.’ … They said, ‘Oh, her husband is a guy by the name of Larry Ellison. Have you ever heard of him?’ Oh, Larry Ellison? The No. 2 richest guy on the planet? Yeah, I’ll take that phone call.

“That night, we’re on a Zoom. And we’re talking. … She said, ‘I never want to live that era [Brady Hoke] ever again. We’re the national champs, I have two kids. I can’t stomach waking up on a Saturday knowing we’re not the best team on the field.’ And I said, ‘I’m with you. What do we have to do?’ And she said, ‘I know what we’ll do. Let’s set up a call tomorrow night with Bryce Underwood and his parents.’ I said count me in. This was a month and a half ago.”