Within the last few hours, a lot has unraveled between Ohio State and Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy, who is a Michigan superfan. It all started after reports started flooding out that Ohio State had placed a ban on Portnoy from entering the Ohio Stadium, where the season kick-off will take place against the Texas Longhorns. Portnoy was expected to appear on Fox's pregame Big Noon kickoff desk but given his close allegiance with Michigan, reports suspected that he was barred from entering the stadium.
The initial reports had Ohio State posting all kinds of reactions against Portnoy. However, hours later, Ross Dellenger provided an update confirming from the program's AD Ross Bjork that Ohio State has not placed any kind of ban on Portnoy, while adding:
"Bjork confirms that FOX decided Portnoy would not be on the main desk of Big Noon Kickoff and those not on the desk do not normally appear on the field. These are Fox decisions, he emphasized."
Ohio State did not issue a ban on Dave Portnoy, AD Ross Bjork tells @YahooSports. Bjork confirms that FOX decided Portnoy would not be on the main desk of Big Noon Kickoff and those not on the desk do not normally appear on the field. These are Fox decisions, he emphasized.
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) August 26, 2025
Portnoy reposted the above tweet and posted an "emergency press conference" only he can. He said several things, among which included a "free advice" for Ohio State fans.
"So I am going to give Buckeye Nation free advice. Stop pointing the finger. Look in the mirror. Get better. Get tougher," he wrote.
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
This was just the tip of the iceberg, as inside the video he shared, Portnoy had some blunt words for the Buckeyes fans.
"Ohio State has lost four straight times," Portnoy said. They haven’t beaten Michigan in a decade. They wake up, they think about Michigan. They go to sleep, they think about Michigan. They see this face, it’s the boogeyman."
This makes Portnoy a permanent enemy of Ohio State, but he won't mind, though.
Dave Portnoy blames Ohio State AD Ross Bjork over his alleged ban
Portnoy didn't take it kindly on the program's Athletic Director either. While Dellenger's update mentions that Bjork didn't ban the Barstool Sports founder, Portnoy alleges that he's lying.
"They banned me from coming to the state," Portnoy said. "They banned our show from being on campus. And I feel bad that Fox is in the middle of it. I don’t want to create any issue. But then I look in the mirror, it’s like, Dave, 20 years, you’ve been doing Barstool. You just tell it how it is."
Portnoy claims that Ohio State’s administration barred him and his Barstool from appearing at Big Noon Kickoff in Columbus. This gets more interesting, as he claimed that Fox wanted him there. Ohio State’s AD Ross Bjork denied it, blaming Fox, but Portnoy claims that’s just damage control.