Dave Portnoy says Ohio State, Ryan Day saw him as a 'major, major headache' on 'Big Noon Kickoff'

Dave Portnoy fired back Friday, taking to social media to pre-empt a report from The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand that he would no longer appear on FS1’s *Big Noon Kickoff*.

“Ohio State and Ryan Day b*tched and moaned to the Big 10 and threatened Fox till they had no choice,” Portnoy wrote.

“Juice wasnt worth the squeeze [and] frankly I dont blame them. 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 sh*t even I didnt realize he was this soft.”

Portnoy’s claims about Day’s threats are his own allegations, not independently confirmed. Marchand’s report, however, essentially confirmed that Ohio State-related concerns were part of the decision to cut ties with the Barstool Sports founder.

Portnoy began appearing on the show last season as part of a Fox Sports-Barstool partnership, but his role had been limited because several Big Ten schools, especially Ohio State, raised concerns. The abrupt split follows years of escalating friction between Portnoy and the Buckeyes’ head coach.

THE FOX SPLIT

Marchand essentially confirmed that Ohio State-related concerns were part of the decision, but he stopped short of pinning the split on any single incident. “As for the abrupt timing of the decision, those sources said there was no smoking gun other than that the constant challenge of trying to unite Fox Sports’ more traditional show with Barstool’s persona proved unsustainable,” Marchand wrote.

The specific reasons for the abrupt timing are not fully confirmed. Marchand’s sources pointed to a broader clash of cultures rather than one decisive blow.

Marchand also noted that Portnoy, a Michigan alum and booster, has faced disputes over his presence at Ohio State home games, with reports last year saying he was banned from being in the stadium. Portnoy has previously been banned from doing the final hour of the show in Big Ten stadiums, something he has blamed on Ohio State.

Portnoy started appearing on the show last season as part of a Fox Sports-Barstool Sports partnership, but his role had been limited because several Big Ten schools, especially Ohio State, raised concerns. The arrangement was never seamless, and the friction only grew as Portnoy’s history with Day and the Buckeyes piled up.