Dave Portnoy won’t be on ‘Big Noon Kickoff’ in Week 3

Dave Portnoy won’t be making the trip to Evanston this weekend, which is surprising considering Barstool Sports’ Chicago presence.

Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff will head to Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium as the Wildcats host Oregon, but we won’t see if the Big Ten will allow Portnoy in one of its stadiums just yet. He was allowed into Jack Trice Stadium in Ames this weekend for Iowa State, but we’ll have to wait until Week 4 to see when he likely returns.

Dave Portnoy: “I gotta tell ya- I sat in a dark room with a tear coming down my eye. I need Bill Belichick to either start winning or get out of college football, because I can’t be the butt of the joke. He’s like my grandfather, and it’s sad to see.”pic.twitter.com/WPaiQ1xCWE

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 6, 2025

Portnoy announced his absence Saturday night without giving a specific reason, only saying he would not be taking #AskDave questions at this time. But he’ll be absent in all likelihood due to his One Bite Pizza Festival returning Saturday, Sept. 13, at Randall’s Island in New York.

Upon Portnoy’s announcement, Barstool’s Big Cat (Dan Katz), who referred to the Barstool Sports founder as “Kim Jong Portnoy” on Saturday’s episode, announced that he would be filling in for Portnoy.

Also Breaking News – I will be filling in for Dave on @BNKonFOX next week so I’ll be happy to take any #AskDaveButDanAnswersForHim questions people have. #TheTeamTheTeamTheTeam https://t.co/cJYkrobZA6

— Big Cat (@BarstoolBigCat) September 7, 2025

Big Cat gets his first solo shot on Big Noon Kickoff. The Wisconsin graduate will be in familiar territory with the Barstool brand’s relationship with Fox Sports.

Portnoy’s absence means we won’t get to test whether the Big Ten’s stance about keeping him out of conference stadiums has softened. The conference previously said Portnoy wouldn’t be part of any stadium segments from Big Ten schools, but that was before Fox worked out the logistics of integrating Barstool into Big Noon Kickoff.

The Ohio State drama from Week 1 showed how complicated Portnoy’s presence can be for Fox and the conference. His Michigan fandom made him a lightning rod in Columbus, where he was effectively banned from Ohio Stadium.

Northwestern presents a different situation entirely. Playing at their temporary lakefront stadium while Ryan Field is under construction, the Wildcats don’t have the same intense fanbase as schools like Ohio State or Michigan.

Big Cat’s hashtag #AskDaveButDanAnswersForHim suggests he plans to lean into the substitution rather than trying to replicate Portnoy’s energy.

We’ll have to wait for Portnoy’s return, likely in Week 4, to see if the Big Ten has moved past the Ohio State ordeal.