'Big Noon Kickoff' Abruptly Cut Ties With Barstool's Dave Portnoy Before Michigan-Minnesota Game

Hours before "Big Noon Kickoff" takes place ahead of the Michigan-Minnesota game, news broke that Barstool's Dave Portnoy will no longer appear on Fox's college football show.

Dec 14, 2024; Landover, Maryland, USA; Dave Portnoy, Bar Stool Sports founder and owner walks along the sidelines before the playing of the 125 Army Navy game at Commanders Field. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn ImagesDec 14, 2024; Landover, Maryland, USA; Dave Portnoy poses with solders before the between the Army Black Knights and the Navy Midshipmen at Commanders Field. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Dave Portnoy's brief tenure on Fox's college football pregame show "Big Noon Kickoff" has come to an end. The Athletic's Andrew Marchand reported that Fox has opted to remove Portnoy from the show.

It does not appear that Fox had one overriding reason for the decision, but there was a disconnect between the network's more traditional approach compared to Barstool.

"The sources briefed on the matter, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly, said there wasn’t one specific reason for the decision’s abrupt timing," Marchand wrote on Oct. 2.

"But the constant challenge of trying to unite Fox Sports’ more traditional show with Barstool’s persona proved unsustainable."

Portnoy will no longer appear on "Big Noon Kickoff" beginning as Fox broadcasts from Minnesota ahead of the team's Big Ten showdown against Michigan.

Barstool's Dave Portnoy Claims Ohio State's Ryan Day Is Behind Split With Fox

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

Portnoy took to social media after news broke of the split. The Barstool founder blamed Ohio State head coach Ryan Day for the decision.

Portnoy is an avid Michigan fan who has no problem trolling Ohio State.

"Just was told @AndrewMarchand is about to release an article saying I’ve been put on ice for ("Big Noon Kickoff")," Pornoy noted in an Oct. 2, message on X. "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 (expletive) and moaned to the Big 10 and threatened Fox till they had no choice. Juice wasnt worth the squeeze amd frankly I dont blame them," Portnoy added.

"Huge dollars at stake and you have Cryin Ryan throwing temper tantrums (and) making threats
every few days on something I said. I always knew Ryan Day was soft but holy (expletive) even I didn't realize he was this soft."

'College GameDay' Ratings on the Rise Amid Pat McAfee Controversy

Sep 21, 2026; Inglewood, CA, USA; Pat McAfee on the ESPN Monday Night Countdown set at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Fox has been aiming to make a dent in ESPN's college football pregame market share with "College GameDay." Yet, "College GameDay" continues to be the most popular pregame show.

The ESPN show is averaging 2.83 million viewers through the first four weeks, per Front Office Sports. This puts the "College GameDay" ratings on track to be 5% higher than the season average for 2025.

There continues to be a debate over ESPN's usage of Pat McAfee. The self-described polarizing figure was added to "Monday Night Countdown," ESPN's NFL pregame show ahead of Monday Night Football.

This is in addition to his daily show as well as prominent role on "College GameDay."

The early results show that McAfee continues to lead to ratings for ESPN. As for "Big Noon Kickoff," the pregame show averaged 1.2 million viewers during Week 1, per Yahoo Sports.