Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff is airing live from Ohio Stadium once again as the Ohio State Buckeyes host the Penn State Nittany Lions, and fans will seemingly have to get their fill of Dave Portnoy this weekend before the Barstool Sports owner takes a break.
According to Portnoy, his cold war with the Big Ten is still running hot, and after he makes a second appearance in Columbus this season, the decision to put him on the bench for next week comes as part of ongoing tensions with Fox’s biggest college football partner.
In the latest episode of his Unnamed Show podcast, Portnoy broke down the situation, emphasizing that Barstool’s partnership with Fox remains strong despite the Big Ten taking itself “way too seriously” and pushing back on his Big Noon Kickoff appearances.
As a result, The Barstool College Football Show will air live from Starkville, Mississippi, next weekend as Mississippi State hosts Georgia, separate from Big Noon Kickoff, which Portnoy suggests will air from a Big Ten campus. Looking at the Big Ten schedule for Week 11, the most likely options for Fox’s Big Noon Saturday game are Indiana at Penn State or Oregon at Iowa.
“I know this is 100 percent the truth,” Portnoy explained. “We have a great relationship with Fox, and I am not trying to make their lives more difficult because we have a great relationship. That is why we’re going to Mississippi State.”
The Barstool boss elaborated that he does not know for sure that the Big Ten “officially” made a call to express that it does not want him around for that week’s broadcast, or if Fox is merely attempting appeasement. When Barstool’s deal with Fox was announced, it was reported that Portnoy would not appear each week on BNK. However, while Ohio State reportedly barred the Michigan alum from being on-field in Week 1, this is the first time Portnoy has revealed the conference’s influence on whether he appears at all.
When Portnoy was kept out of Ohio Stadium for a big matchup against Texas to kick off the season, Ohio State worked hard to prove the decision was not theirs. Questions loomed as to whether the ban would be conference-wide or exclusive to the Buckeyes.
Now, Portnoy is raising the alarm once again on the conference’s meddling making it harder for Fox to make the best show possible. Nevertheless, Portnoy still appears to be thrilled with the Fox deal overall.
“We have a great relationship with Fox Sports. They have been nothing but great working with us. It’s like the oppo-world of ESPN,” he said.
“So I’m not trying to agitate it … and I think they would probably echo a lot of the things we say, but this is our partner and we’re going to try and make this work as best we can with everybody. But I have no complaints with Fox. None, zero.”
One would assume Fox’s engagement numbers for BNK when Portnoy is on the show are strong, though he acknowledged on The Unnamed Show that ratings vary based on the game it precedes rather than whether he appears or not.
“I think it’s doing well, but I think a lot of Big Noon Kickoff is sort of game-dependent,” Portnoy said.
Altogether, during a quiet patch in the college football schedule dominated by coach firings more than big games, Fox may see a chance to rejigger its lineup and keep things cool between Barstool and the Big Ten.
About Brendon Kleen
Brendon is a Media Commentary staff writer at Awful Announcing. He has also covered basketball and sports business at Front Office Sports, SB Nation, Uproxx and more.