Barstool Sports Removed
Fox Sports removes Dave Portnoy and Barstool personalities from college football coverage.
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Key Points
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The Athletic reported there was no single triggering incident behind the removal; rather, the ongoing effort to combine Fox’s traditional format with Barstool’s style had become difficult to sustain.
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Dan “Big Cat” Katz was among the other prominent Barstool personalities who had appeared on Fox’s college football coverage.
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Fox’s broadcast for the Minnesota–Michigan game was set to feature its regular desk: host Rob Stone, Urban Meyer, Matt Leinart, Brady Quinn and Mark Ingram II.
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The Athletic framed Barstool’s arrival as a response to Pat McAfee joining ESPN’s “College GameDay,” but noted McAfee had not been barred from entering stadiums.
Fox Sports has removed Dave Portnoy and Barstool Sports from its "Big Noon Kickoff" college football show after just over a year. The Athletic reported the split stemmed from ongoing tension between Fox's traditional broadcast style and Barstool's provocative approach, rather than one specific incident. Portnoy blamed Ohio State and coach Ryan Day for pressuring the network, though he said he understood Fox's decision.
The partnership was meant to compete with ESPN's "College GameDay" and Pat McAfee's rising popularity. Barstool will keep its weekday FS1 show "Wake Up Barstool," and Fox's regular desk anchors—Rob Stone, Urban Meyer, Matt Leinart, Brady Quinn, and Mark Ingram II—will return to full coverage.
A Year of Clashing Styles on Air
When Barstool joined "Big Noon Kickoff" in 2023, Fox hoped to attract younger viewers and challenge ESPN's dominance. But blending Fox's polished format with Barstool's edgy content proved difficult. The Athletic found no single triggering event—instead, the friction accumulated over months of trying to make two vastly different broadcast cultures work together.
Portnoy Points Finger at Ohio State Leadership
Portnoy, a Michigan alum and booster, claimed that Ohio State coach Ryan Day and the university pressured Fox to remove him. He suggested his appearances at Ohio State games created institutional friction. Breitbart News reported Portnoy said he understood Fox's business decision but felt the pressure campaign was unfair.
Fox never confirmed this account. The Athletic noted that Pat McAfee faced no such stadium restrictions when joining ESPN, suggesting Portnoy's situation was unique to Barstool's fit with Fox's brand and partnerships—especially Fox's recent Big Ten media deal.
Other Barstool Personalities Also Sidelined
Dan "Big Cat" Katz and other prominent Barstool personalities who appeared on Fox's college football coverage have also been removed. Their departures signal a clean break rather than selective cuts. Fox's studio team will now consist solely of the network's traditional talent pool.
What Barstool Keeps and What It Lost
Despite the "Big Noon Kickoff" exit, Barstool's partnership with Fox is not entirely over. The company retains its weekday FS1 show "Wake Up Barstool," meaning some on-air presence remains. Awful Announcing noted the move underscores how narrowly Barstool's fit worked within Fox's broader sports ecosystem—strong enough for a weekday talk show, but too risky for prime college football coverage.
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