While Fox’s college football coverage is most often associated with the Big Ten, the network is also the Big 12’s primary media rights partner. And as Big Noon Kickoff heads to Iowa State this weekend, the conference’s commissioners are expressing their support for Dave Portnoy.
According to Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger, the Big 12’s athletic directors and commissioner Brett Yormark joined the Barstool Sports founder for a 40-minute call on Wednesday, in which they offered him a “blank canvas” of engagement opportunities while stating their support for integrating the Barstool brand across the conference’s campuses. Taking to X, Portnoy reposted Dellenger’s report, writing: “I can not confirm or deny this conference call took place. Gun to head I’d say it probably took place and @barstoolsports is very excited to work with @Big12Conference.”
The meeting comes two days ahead of Big Noon Kickoff‘s visit to Ames, where the Cyclones’ will host Iowa in their annual rivalry matchup. While it’s unclear whether the post was made before or after the meeting, Iowa State AD Jamie Pollard publicly expressed her support for Portnoy with her own post on X on Wednesday afternoon.
As Pollard alluded to in her post, Portnoy’s preparation for the second week of his stint on Big Noon Kickoff is certainly going a lot more smoothly than his first did. During the leadup to last Saturday’s season premiere in Columbus, the Michigan alum claimed Ohio State had banned him from appearing inside of Ohio Stadium during the broadcast, although Buckeyes AD Ross Bjork insisted that wasn’t the case.
As one might have expected, Portnoy’s presence on the Big Noon Kickoff set made for a hostile environment, as he was consistently booed throughout each appearance he made throughout the program. But while it’s unlikely the Boston native will ever win over Buckeyes fans — and perhaps other fanbases across the Big Ten — due to his Michigan ties, it makes sense that the Big 12 would embrace the opportunity to leverage his newfound connection with their league.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.