FOX is reportedly keeping Dave Portnoy’s debut away from the network’s live broadcast of college football’s banner Week 1 matchup between the No. 1 Texas Longhorns and the No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes at “The Shoe” in Columbus.
Sources told Front Office Sports that Portnoy “will still appear on Fox‘s Big Noon Kickoff, but not for the end of the show inside the stadium.” Another source said FOX “anticipated having issues with Portnoy and Ohio State and that the network’s original plan did not include him entering the stadium.”
Portnoy has been vocal about his Buckeye hatred throughout his career. He recently told Ohio State fans to “cry” in a viral rant following the NCAA’s handing down punishments to the Michigan Wolverines, Portnoy’s favorite team and alma mater, for stealing opponents’ play-calling signs.
“That’s like what, one quarter of Bryce Underwood? We don’t care about $20 million. Conor Stalions, U.S. Marine by the way, he can’t coach for eight years, for what, being great at decoding signals and serving his country? I don’t care, it doesn’t matter, Ohio State? Cry. Little brother, cry. All you other schools, cry,” Portnoy said.
“It’s gonna be student body left, student body right, we’ve got a quarterback, the forward pass is back in our office, and we’re gonna mash ya, just like we’ve mashed Ohio State for the past hundred years. Haven’t beat us since the days of Covid. Let ’em cry, let ’em whine. Let ’em take that $20 million — to a Michigan man? Ashtray money, bro — We’re gonna see you Thanksgiving Day weekend and we’re going to beat the piss out of you, and no $20 million is gonna change that. Twenty million? Like we give a (expletive) about twenty million.”
Portnoy has been involved with the Wolverines behind the scenes, teaming up with Las Vegas Raiders minority owner Tom Brady and Oracle CTO Larry Ellison to help Michigan land 5-star Belleville quarterback Bryce Underwood during the 2025 recruiting cycle. Underwood was the class’s No. 1 overall recruit.
Portnoy had warned OSU that Michigan owns the Big Ten.
“We’re coming for you,” Portnoy said. “See you on ‘Big Noon Kickoff,’ I’m gonna be there, Columbus.”
FOX wasn’t interested in someone unabashedly, and perhaps aggressively, backing the maize and blue hijacking their marquee season-opening broadcast.
The post Fox Makes Controversial Decision on Ohio State-Texas Broadcast appeared first on Newsweek.
