Ohio State's Ryan Day Protects Brand Image With Shocking Dave Portnoy Decision

The Ohio State Buckeyes have made a statement thus far this season as one of college football's elite championship contenders. Currently, it is a top-5 program according to AP voters. Three of Ohio State's next four games could decide its season (@Indiana Oct. 17, @USC Oct. 31 and a Nov. 7 date with Oregon in Columbus).

Alongside those games comes big business. In simple terms, the Buckeyes are a national TV conglomerate with the majority of their games airing on Fox, CBS and NBC (with Big Ten Network and the standalone streaming service, Peacock, in between).

Fox, of course, hosts its weekly pregame show, 'Big Noon Kickoff.' Like 'College GameDay,' BNK has its own set of personalities to break down the key week-to-week storylines in college football.

Last July, Fox Sports teamed up with Barstool Sports, a company founded in 2003 by Dave Portnoy that is now one of the biggest sports media companies on the planet.

An element that made the show unique for some fans (and hate-watch-filled for others) was Portnoy's presence. Portnoy has well-known ties to the University of Michigan, better known to Buckeye Nation as "TTUN."

Dave Portnoy's Split With Big Noon Kickoff Bigger Than Football

Dave Portnoy vs. Fox and Ohio State. — Dave Portnoy on the sideline before kickoff of the first half between Michigan and Oklahoma at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Therefore, his pro-Wolverines perspective could be seen as simple bias, or, better yet, just another evolution in new-age, social-media-driven sports content.

Nevertheless, reports surfaced late last Friday from The Athletic's Andrew Marchand that Portnoy's time on the show was over, effective immediately. But, according to Portnoy himself, there are added layers to the story that make it anything but a smooth parting of ways: his relationship, or lack of one, with Ohio State coach Ryan Day.

Portnoy addressed what happened in a now-viral tweet on 'X,' which is still live as of Wednesday afternoon.

Just was told @AndrewMarchand is about to release an article saying I’ve been put on ice for @BNKonFOX I havent seen the article yet and he didnt call me for a quote but i can sum it up this way

Ohio State and Ryan Day bitched and moaned to the Big 10 and threatened Fox…
— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) October 3, 2026

"Juice wasn't worth the squeeze, and frankly I don't blame them. Huge dollars at stake, and you have Cryin Ryan throwing temper tantrums and making threats every few days over something I said," Portnoy wrote. "I always knew Ryan Day was soft, but holy s***, even I didn't realize he was this soft."

Portnoy later told Front Office Sports that he heard Day has a vendetta against him.

"It got worse and worse, to the point where I was supposed to be in Columbus two weeks ago [for the Illinois game]. I was getting ready to go out there, and they told me to stay home because Ohio State had basically said, "If Dave's there, we won't cooperate in any aspect of the show," Portnoy recalled.

Of course, the show moved forward as scheduled and the Buckeyes won their Big Ten opener. But the irreversable damage had been already done.

Regardless of what side college football fans take, including Ohio State fans, the Portnoy saga is another example of two brands (the football program and Fox) protecting a brand image. In another way, it adds another layer of hatred to an already bitter rivalry.

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