Dave Portnoy blames Ryan Day for Big Noon Kickoff ouster

Dave Portnoy, founder and CEO of Barstool Sports, is pointing the finger squarely at Ohio State head coach Ryan Day for his abrupt removal from Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff.

Just before the news broke Saturday morning, Portnoy took to social media and insisted Day complained to the Big Ten and ended the collaboration, according to www.saturdaytradition.com. Portnoy’s claim that Day complained to the conference is not independently confirmed.

Fox removed Portnoy and Barstool Sports from the program, as reported by Andrew Marchand of The Athletic on Saturday morning. The split comes a little over a year after Fox added Portnoy to the Big Noon Kickoff desk as part of a wider deal between the network and Barstool Sports, which Portnoy founded and leads as CEO.

Portnoy’s ouster ends a run that began in Week 1 of 2025 in Columbus, Ohio, for Texas vs. Ohio State. He was a mainstay for the entire 2025 season and appeared in all four episodes this season before the abrupt split.

THE SPLIT AND ITS TIMING

Portnoy’s ouster ends a run that began in Week 1 of 2025 in Columbus, Ohio, for Texas vs. Ohio State. He was a mainstay for the entire 2025 season and appeared in all four episodes this season before the abrupt split.

The removal was reported Saturday morning by Andrew Marchand of The Athletic. The exact reason for the split is not confirmed beyond Portnoy’s accusation, which he leveled against Ohio State coach Ryan Day just before the news went public.

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