Saturday's Ohio Statevs. Texas showdown is easily the biggest matchup of Week 1 in the 2025 college football season. There are storylines galore, from the No. 1 vs. No. 3 teams in the preseason AP poll going head-to-head to Ohio State now defending its national championship to Arch Manning's debut as the full-time starter with the Longhorns.
A new off-the-field storyline is also developing, though: Ohio State reportedly banning new Fox Sports analyst Dave Portnoy from its stadium.
Front Office Sports reported on Monday that the Buckeyes are "barring Dave Portnoy from entering" Ohio Stadium for Saturday's big game, where Portnoy and the Fox Sports crew will be in-person for coverage.
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Here's what to know about Portnoy's alleged ban from Ohio State's stadium, as well as the media personality's social media reaction to the news.
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Dave Portnoy Ohio State stadium ban, explained
In news that was both unexpected and somewhat confusing, Front Office Sports' Ryan Glasspiegel reported Monday that Ohio State is "barring Barstool Sports from campus and its founder Dave Portnoy from entering Ohio Stadium" for Saturday's Buckeyes vs. Longhorns matchup.
Portnoy will still reportedly appear on Fox’s "Big Noon Kickoff," but he will not appear for the end of the show that takes place inside the stadium. Additionally, "The Barstool College Football Show," will no longer run as Barstool had previously planned, per Front Office Sports.
It's not fully clear why Ohio State is taking the lengths to ban Portnoy from its stadium, but the Front Office Sports story reported that Fox already "anticipated having issues with Portnoy and Ohio State and that the network’s original plan did not include him entering the stadium."
The clearest reason for potential issues between Portnoy and Ohio State fans is the fact that he's not only a well-known Michigan fan, but he has spoken out very clearly against the Buckeyes in the past, including trolling them on social media.
In fact, Portnoy did so on Monday night, writing on social media that he "loves" the rivalry between Ohio State and Michigan, except for the fact that "one team has to win once in awhile for it to be considered a rivalry."
Former Ohio State linebacker Bobby Carpenter said on his radio show Monday that there were people at Ohio State who are “not all that happy about [Portnoy] being hired” at Fox. Co-host Austin Ward also added that Portnoy is “not welcome inside the Horseshoe.”
🏟️ Dave Portnoy NOT WELCOME inside Ohio Stadium
— Intrinsic (@intrinsicvalyou) August 25, 2025
“There’s a legitimate conversation going if Big Noon thinks they’re finishing their show inside the Horseshoe. Dave Portnoy is NOT welcome.” -Austin Ward & Bobby Carpenter#BigNoon #OhioState @stoolpresidente pic.twitter.com/CmE0DIuvIN
It's easy to see how Portnoy, a proud Michigan alum, being in Ohio Stadium could have potentially caused some rifts with Buckeyes fans. However, because representatives from Ohio State and Fox Sports did not yet comment on the situation in the Front Office Sports story, a full explanation for Portnoy's alleged ban has yet to come to fruition.
Either way, Portnoy didn't seem to be too fazed by the news, sharing a social media post on Monday night that included a photo of him with a fake mustache, jokingly suggesting that he'd sneak into the stadium.
https://t.co/iZtAt2rGDw pic.twitter.com/V5NotTorNy
— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) August 26, 2025
Ohio State has released a response through their AD Ross Bjork. They did not issue a ban for Portnoy. Instead, they claim that FOX decided that Portnoy wouldn't be part of the main desk once the show moves inside the stadium of the game where the show is being held. The action typically starts outside with the previews, but then moves inside the stadium for the final portion of the show to not only continue analysis, but to make picks and capture the college football atmosphere. Bjork emphasized this was a decision from Fox.
A Big Ten spokesperson confirms this report and told Yahoo Sports that it is the league's understanding that Portnoy will not appear on the show's main stage in stadium for any game this year. It has fans feeling like this may have been a publicity stunt, but there has been no confirmation that it was.
Portnoy responded with a video on his personal X account. He maintains that Ohio State did, in fact, ban Portnoy from the stadium and the Barstool crew from having a show at the stadium. The message is riddled with insults toward Ohio State from the pro-Michigan Portnoy.
I want Michigan vs Ohio to mean something again. And I love the people of Columbus outside the football team they root for. Good clean hardworking people. So I am going to give Buckeye Nation free advice. Stop pointing the finger. Look in the mirror. Get better. Get tougher. https://t.co/ZltE91GVtn pic.twitter.com/MLmnMkZI4q
— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) August 26, 2025
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What is Dave Portnoy's role at Fox Sports?
In July, Fox Sports announced it had completed a deal with Barstool Sports, Portnoy's company, which included the media personality becoming a regular contributor on Fox’s top Saturday college football pregame show, “Big Noon Kickoff.”
Additionally, Barstool is set to have its own pregame show before “Big Noon Kickoff” at select Big Ten games, per The Athletic, and Portnoy’s role is set to be "more of a voice of the fan" as he also participates in a Barstool-produced daily show on FS1.
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