The rivalry between Michigan and Ohio State has taken an off-field twist this week with conflicting reports over whether Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy had been banned from Ohio Stadium.
On Monday night, Front Office Sports reported that Ohio State blocked Portnoy from appearing on FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff broadcast inside The Horseshoe ahead of the Buckeyes’ matchup with Texas. Portnoy, a Michigan alumnus and outspoken critic of Ohio State, quickly weighed in by saying both he and the Barstool
College Football Show had been kept out by the Buckeyes.
By Tuesday morning, Ohio State athletic director Ross Bjork had pushed back on that initial report, telling Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger the decision had come directly from FOX, not the university.
Portnoy, meanwhile, didn’t back off from any criticism on Ohio State’s part, accusing the Buckeyes of dodging accountability.
“The big story involving me right now is Ohio State banning me from entering The Shoe to be part of Big Noon Kickoff on the field,” Portnoy said in a social media video on Tuesday afternoon. “They also banned the Barstool Sports College Football Show. We were supposed to be in Columbus. We talked about being in Columbus, and then we got word that Ohio State was not going to allow us to be on campus with Big Noon Kickoff.
“Listen, this is a unique spot for me because I always just sling it and say what’s happening. Now, we formed this big relationship with FOX, and I’m always cognizant of our partners and trying to do right by them. And they definitely got put in a weird spot because they didn’t see this. How could anybody see that crying Ryan Day and Ohio State would be this soft?”
Naturally, Portnoy really leaned into the “softness” angle, painting Ohio State’s decision as further proof that the Buckeyes are plagued by their lack of success against Michigan.
“This is my advice, and this is why we kick your ass inside out every single Thanksgiving Day weekend,” Portnoy said. “Stop making excuses. Stop crying about planting flags. Stop crying about the hammer and Connor Stalions. Just own up. Be like, ‘You know what? Michigan is a bully, and they beat the piss out of us. And when they walk down the street, we cross to the other side, and we gotta get better.
“Just own what you do. Don’t hide. ‘Oh, we didn’t ban them.’ You banned me. You’re scared of Michigan. And the only way you guys are ever gonna compete with us again is if you can look yourselves in the mirror and be honest with yourselves … just look in the mirror and say, ‘We’re weak, we’re soft, and until we get better, we’re never gonna beat this team.’”
The timing adds intrigue to the fall schedule. Michigan and Ohio State will meet Nov. 29 in Ann Arbor, a game already set for FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff. Whether Portnoy will be inside Michigan Stadium for that broadcast remains unclear, but the controversy has already injected new energy into college football’s fiercest rivalry months before kickoff.
