Dave Portnoy’s Ryan Day accusation raises questions after Barstool Sports is removed from Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff

Dave Portnoy has been removed from Fox Sports’ Big Noon Kickoff along with Barstool Sports, and he is pointing the finger at Ohio State coach Ryan Day. Portnoy claims Day and Ohio State pressured the Big Ten and Fox after their long-running tension. However, reporting from The Athletic says there was no single incident behind the decision. Fox has not publicly said that Day caused Portnoy’s exit.Dave Portnoy takes aim at Ryan Day over Big Noon Kickoff exitPortnoy shared his side of the story on X after The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand reported that he and other Barstool personalities would no longer appear on the Fox pregame show. He said he had not been contacted for a comment before the report came out.“Ohio State and Ryan Day b*****d and m****d to the Big 10 and threatened Fox till they had no choice,” Portnoy wrote.He then said Fox had decided the partnership was not worth the trouble, while blaming Day for repeatedly reacting to things he had said.“Juice wasn’t worth the squeeze, and frankly I don’t blame them. Huge dollars at stake, and you have Cryin Ryan throwing temper tantrums and making threats every few days on something I said,” Portnoy added.Portnoy then took another direct shot at the Ohio State coach.“I always knew Ryan Day was soft but holy s**t even I didn’t realize he was this soft #Goblue,” he wrote.Those are Portnoy’s claims, not an established account of what happened. The Athletic’s report said there was no “smoking gun” behind the split and described the partnership as difficult because Fox’s traditional sports show and Barstool’s style were hard to combine.The change also does not mean Barstool has completely disappeared from Fox Sports. The New York Post reported that Wake Up Barstool will continue, while Portnoy said Barstool’s college football coverage would carry on separately.Ryan Day and Ohio State face Iowa as Portnoy controversy growsThe timing adds another layer because Ryan Day and the No. 5 Ohio State Buckeyes are in Iowa City on Saturday to face the No. 14 Iowa Hawkeyes. Ohio State is 3-1, while Iowa entered the game unbeaten at 4-0 after beating Michigan in a last-second finish. The game is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS.Portnoy’s connection to Michigan makes his criticism of Ohio State especially personal. He attended Michigan and has been a prominent supporter of the Wolverines, while Michigan and Ohio State share one of college football’s biggest rivalries. His relationship with Ohio State has also created problems before. On his 2025 Big Noon Kickoff debut in Columbus, Portnoy was not allowed inside Ohio Stadium, according to On3.Fox’s own 2026 announcement had listed Portnoy and Barstool personalities as part of Big Noon Kickoff, making the sudden change notable.Stay updated with the latest Asian Games 2026 news, check the Asian Games medal tally and complete Asian Games schedule.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.