Dave Portnoy Reportedly Banned From Texas vs. Ohio State; Buckeyes Deny Claim

On Tuesday, the situation evolved into a back-and-forth between Ohio State and Portnoy that has yet to come to a conclusion. 

What the Heck is Going On?

On his Columbus-area radio show on Monday, former Ohio State linebacker Bobby Carpenter claimed that plenty of people from the university were “not at all happy about [Portnoy] being hired,” and his cohost, Austin Ward, added that Portnoy would not be welcomed inside Ohio Stadium. Shortly after, sources told Front Office Sports that Portnoy would be barred from entering the stadium. 

On Tuesday, Ohio State athletic director Ross Bjork told a reporter that Portnoy was not banned from entering the stadium. 

“Fox representatives informed the department that the only talent who would be inside Ohio Stadium for the last hour of the show would be their main set/desk talent team,” a representative from Ohio State told Front Office Sports. “They informed us that David Portnoy is not part of their ‘main desk’ crew. Ohio State did not ban anyone from our stadium.”

In typical Portnoy fashion, he took to social media to give his side of the story. 

“I wasn’t going to say anything,” Portnoy started. “I’m trying to be a good partner; we’re just starting this thing with Fox. They banned me from coming into their stadium. They banned our [Barstool’s] show from coming to campus. I feel bad because Fox is in the middle of it.”

For the Longhorns fans trying to figure out what the heck this all means for the Texas vs Ohio State game, Dave Portnoy will not be gracing television screens within the last hour of Big Noon Kickoff leading into the start of the game. He will still appear on the show, just not for the portion inside the stadium. 

There is no doubt the Buckeyes will host Big Noon Kickoff again, so it will be interesting to see how the whole situation plays out again later in the season. 

Kickoff for the long-awaited matchup between the Longhorns and the Buckeyes is scheduled for 11 a.m. Central on Saturday.