For the first time in five years, the Ohio State Buckeyes defeated the Michigan Wolverines on a football field on Saturday.
As for next Saturday’s Big Ten Championship Game, don’t expect to see Michigan Man Dave Portnoy on the Big Noon Kickoff dais.
The undefeated Buckeyes moved one step closer to defending their national title with a 27-9 drubbing of the Wolverines. With the win, they moved on to the Big Ten Championship, where they’ll take on the Indiana Hoosiers, who also come into the game at 12-0.
While it will be an epic conclusion to great seasons for both Big Ten teams, Portnoy has opted out of his role in Fox’s coverage of the game.
I would like to announce that I will not be at the Big 10 championship with @BNKonFOX Good luck to all the teams involved.
— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) November 29, 2025
“I would like to announce that I will not be at the Big 10 championship with [Big Noon Kickoff],” wrote Portnoy on X following the OSU-UM game. “Good luck to all the teams involved.”
Portnoy is wrapping up his first season as part of the BNK crew, one aspect of a partnership between Fox Sports and Barstool Sports that began this year.
Now, it’s worth considering a few different things here. One is that it’s entirely possible that Portnoy was never in the plans to be there for Fox’s coverage to begin with. He wasn’t included in every Big Noon Kickoff this season. He also claimed that the conference didn’t want him on the show during the Week 11 showdown between Ohio State and Penn State. They might not like him there for this huge game as well.
Also, it’s unclear what Fox’s specific plans are for the Big Noon Kickoff crew before the Big Ten title game. The game itself isn’t until 8:00 p.m. ET, and there are only a handful of other games scheduled for that day beforehand. It’s entirely likely there isn’t much of a need for Portnoy, especially since Michigan isn’t involved.
Also, since the official Big Noon Kickoff account reshared Portnoy’s post, this is probably just a way to generate buzz over something meaningless, a Barstool specialty.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.