Michigan football fan and Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy won’t be barred from entering Ohio State’s stadium for Saturday’s season opener against top-ranked Texas, OSU confirmed Tuesday.
An initial report on Monday indicated that Portnoy, who will appear on Fox’s “Big Noon Kickoff” broadcasts this season, was prohibited from joining the announcers over his fandom.
Ohio State representatives said Tuesday that the sports pundit wouldn’t appear in Ohio Stadium, but the decision came from Fox officials.
“Fox representatives informed the [athletic] department that the only talent who would be inside Ohio Stadium for the last hour of the show would be their main set/desk talent team,” the university said in a statement. “This group comprises their halftime and postgame shows as well. They informed us that David Portnoy is not part of their ‘main desk’ crew.”
The statement hasn’t stopped Portnoy from fanning the issue’s fire.
“They also banned the Barstool Sports college football show,” he said in a video posted to social media. “We were supposed to be in Columbus. We talked about being in Columbus. Then we got word that Ohio State was not going to allow us to be on campus.”
After confessing that his partners at Fox were in a tough position, the provocateur took aim at Ohio State officials, including coach Ryan Day.
“How could anybody see that crying Ryan Day and Ohio State would be this soft? I mean, they got a big game versus Texas coming up — a game I’m rooting for the Big Ten — but Michigan has just broken Ohio State,” Portnoy said while sporting a maize and blue hat.
Portnoy will still participate in the “Big Noon Kickoff” show but won’t enter any Big Ten stadium as part of the main desk, according to multiple reports.
The No. 3 Buckeyes host Texas at noon Saturday in the premier matchup of college football’s Week 1 slate.
• Liam Griffin can be reached at lgriffin@washingtontimes.com.
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