Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy suggested on the latest edition of The Unnamed Show that the Big Ten Conference may be influencing his participation in next weekend’s Big Noon Kickoff on FOX Sports, though he emphasized his strong relationship with the network.
“There’s no trouble in paradise with us and FOX Sports. Now, is there trouble in paradise with other people, maybe, but not with us and FOX,” Portnoy said, underscoring his commitment to maintaining a positive working relationship with FOX Sports.
Portnoy hinted that the tension stems not from the network but from the conference itself. “There’s a group that maybe hasn’t cared for Barstool, who has not cared for Barstool throughout this relationship. It’s not really a channel. More of a conference,” he said, alluding to the Big Ten Conference.
While FOX Sports has not officially announced where next week’s Big Noon Kickoff program will be broadcasting from, Portnoy announced he will not be on site instead opting for a live Barstool College Football Show broadcast in Starkville, Mississippi.
When asked about where Big Noon Kickoff would be broadcasting from, he speculated on where the show might be held next weekend. “I don’t think they’ve announced. My guess is it will not be at a Big 12 conference because the Big 12 loves us,” Portnoy said, highlighting the varying degrees of openness among conferences toward Barstool’s involvement.
Despite the potential friction, Portnoy said he is focused on keeping FOX Sports satisfied. “We have a great relationship with Fox, and I am not trying to make their lives more difficult, because we have a great relationship,” he said.
When asked if the Big Ten formally requested that he not appear, Portnoy admitted uncertainty.
“I don’t know if that officially happened or not, but it wouldn’t shock me. But it also wouldn’t shock me if just to be like, you know, what? Let’s cool tensions a little bit, and just you guys, take a deep breath, go to Mississippi State, make brand Brandon Walker happy, and then we’ll regroup after that and come back together,” Portnoy said.
Portnoy praised FOX Sports for their professionalism and partnership, while he balances his options on choosing to honor the partnership instead of making issues worse potentially with the Big Ten.
“We have a great relationship with Fox Sports. They have been nothing but great working with us. They’ve been great. They just—it’s a great relationship. So I’m not trying to agitate it. I think they [FOX Sports] would probably echo a lot of things we say, but this is our partner, and we’re going to try and make this work as best we can for everybody. I have no complaints with FOX Sports. None, zero. I love working with them,” he said.
This year kicked off a partnership between Barstool Sports and FOX Sports where Portnoy would be a featured contributor on the Big Noon Kickoff program. Following a massive week one matchup between #1 Texas and #2 Ohio State which saw massive viewership and interest. Portnoy was questioned about how Barstool’s impact on FOX Sports has gone since on Big Noon Kickoff with the network’s ratings approach.
Portnoy offered insight into how FOX evaluates its viewership.
“I don’t know how much Fox’s numbers—really, I don’t know how much of it is based on their game. And they use an interesting model, because they don’t go to the best game. They generally go like a noon kickoff that they carry on their networks. We’re like ESPN goes to the biggest game,” he said. He added that viewership is often “game dependent,” with marquee matchups like Texas-Ohio State generating “monster numbers.”
Portnoy’s comments suggest a careful balancing act: maintaining a strong partnership with FOX Sports while navigating potential resistance from the Big Ten.
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