Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy might be just the springboard that Big Noon Kickoff needs.
Since its debut in 2019, Big Noon Kickoff has always played second fiddle to ESPN’s college football pregame show, College GameDay. That’s not a knock; that’s just a testament to the decades of success and habitual viewing GameDay has built up. Big Noon Kickoff has been quite successful in its own right, at least at certain times during its six-year run.
But last season, Big Noon fell flat, both from a ratings perspective on television and a goodwill perspective with fans in person. Frustrated Big Ten schools made their feelings on noon kickoffs very well known last season, with some even encouraging boycotts of the pregame show.
This season, the energy around Big Noon Kickoff may very well pull a complete 180. On Wednesday, Front Office Sports reported that Portnoy and Fox Sports were nearing a deal to bring the Barstool founder onto the network’s college football pregame show, in addition to licensing other Barstool content for its FS1 programming lineup. Portnoy later responded that these reports were “nothing more than rumors,” though The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand later reaffirmed Front Office Sports’ initial reporting.
Fox and Portnoy already have a solid foundation; he appears frequently on both the Fox News Channel and Fox Business Network. Now, it appears he’ll be introduced to the Fox Sports side of things.
Portnoy is a polarizing figure in sports media, but one that is sure to bring engagement to any platform he joins. No doubt, he’ll inject a much-needed energy into Big Noon Kickoff that the show’s current cast of Urban Meyer, Brady Quinn, Matt Leinart, Mark Ingram, Chris “The Bear” Fallica, and host Rob Stone doesn’t exactly bring in spades.
In essence, Portnoy’s addition to Big Noon is Fox’s answer to the McAfee hire on ESPN’s GameDay. Portnoy, like McAfee, overperforms in the younger demos and has similarly divided viewers who take a liking (or disliking) to him. Like McAfee, however, Portnoy can engage a crowd. His frankness can lead discussions to places that most average studio shows wouldn’t go. And most importantly, Portnoy will draw attention, both good and bad.
In today’s era of content creation, all attention is created equally. Fox will be just as happy if viewers turn on Big Noon Kickoff to hate-watch Portnoy as they will be to attract his legion of Stoolies.
As much as Portnoy’s detractors may pan the move, it’s undeniable what the Barstool founder brings to the table. He’s unabashedly pro-Michigan, which will undoubtedly create viral moments when Big Noon Kickoff makes its contractually obligated dozen trips to Columbus, Ohio, throughout the season. And if you think he’s going to be cordial with former Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer, think again. That dynamic alone might be enough to encourage viewers to sample Big Noon this season.
And since this deal between Fox and Barstool seems to be much larger than just Portnoy’s role on Big Noon Kickoff, it’s pretty likely that other Barstool personalities will be involved in the show as well. Fox producers are probably chomping at the bit to create a weekly Big Cat segment. And his Wisconsin allegiances will definitely be on display if/when Big Noon travels to Madison.
The Portnoy addition does raise some questions for Big Noon, however. Considering the show airs on a broadcast network, thereby subject to FCC regulations, the show will have less leeway for some of the naughtier segments that GameDay can get away with in its McAfee era on cable. (Remember the whole “suck that Tiger d*ck, b*tch!” debacle?) Portnoy and the rest of the Barstool universe aren’t typically ones to self-censor, but they may need to tone it down slightly for network television.
Will a neutered Portnoy have the same appeal as he does on his typical Barstool platforms? Will fans that are completely unfamiliar with Portnoy and Barstool take a liking to him? Unlike McAfee at ESPN, Portnoy has no college football expertise. He never played, and he’s never tried to be a serious analyst. What exactly will his role be on the show?
For Fox, that doesn’t matter. This was probably a hire-and-ask-questions-later scenario. The Barstool brand solves a lot of its problems in one fell swoop. FS1 will have some fresh programming, without the need to produce its own content. Big Noon Kickoff now has a larger-than-life personality to anchor the show, regardless of if he actually knows anything about college football. And the door is now open for any number of other popular Barstool personalities to contribute on Fox Sports.
The partnership seems like a total no-brainer for both parties. The only question now is how will it be received by fans, and can Portnoy’s celebrity reinvigorate Big Noon Kickoff as it enters Year 7?