Dave Portnoy Confirms Something Big Brewing After Big 12 Commissioner’s Unthinkable Move

Dave Portnoy’s fall itinerary already included pizza reviews, stock tips, and a headline-grabbing debut on Fox’s “Big Noon Kickoff.” Now, a fresh rumor, an unpublicized conference call with the Big 12, has the Barstool founder hurtling back into college-sports discourse. Administrators see a marketing magnet; critics see lighter fluid near an open flame. Either way, Portnoy’s knack for turning private conversations into public theater has everyone wondering where the traveling spectacle lands next.

“Interesting: Brett Yormark and Big 12 ADs held a 40-minute call today with Dave Portnoy, offering him a ‘blank canvas’ of engagement opportunities and emphasizing their full support of integrating the Barstool brand across league campuses, starting this week with Iowa State-Iowa.” Ross Dellenger’s post distilled the shock factor: a Power Five league dangling unfettered creative space to an outsider who doesn’t own a single game-rights package. A “blank canvas” implies everything from student-section stunts to digital shoulder programming—and it positions Barstool as an unofficial hype machine embedded inside rivalry week.

Portnoy met the scoop with calculated coyness: “I can not confirm or deny this conference call took place. Gun to head I’d say it probably took place and @barstoolsports is very excited to work with @Big12Conference.” The half-denial is classic Portnoy, soaking up publicity while sidestepping contractual detail. It also shifts leverage; if backlash erupts, he can claim there was never a formal pact. If campuses roll out the red carpet, he is the visionary ready to amplify their brand. But this is not that deep, actually. Portnoy was likely just being sarcastic. Yormark, in turn, benefits from the buzz without yet signing over content control.

Anyone surprised by the conference’s interest hasn’t watched Portnoy’s recent theatrics. When Ohio State allegedly tried to keep him out of The Horseshoe, he showed up outside the stadium in a fake mustache and an “I ♥ Ryan Day” hat, then told Fox News viewers, “Ryan Day is so butthurt by me, he banned me from going into the stadium.” Days later, he needled Buckeye fans again during Fox’s on-site pregame, pivoting from pizza scores to Michigan digs in the span of a single segment. That blend of irreverence and reach, Barstool’s social footprint tops 20 million, making it catnip for a conference intent on feeling “different.”

The gamble, of course, is that Portnoy’s combustible persona can singe as easily as it sells. Title IX offices, faculty senates, and legacy sponsors will keep receipts on every Barstool-branded tailgate or live stream. For Yormark, the question is whether the eyeballs justify the risk; for Portnoy, even the hint of institutional access is a win. One thing is certain: if the Big 12 truly hands him a blank canvas, expect brushstrokes that are loud, lucrative, and impossible to ignore until the next fire alarm rings.

Portnoy’s latest salvo at the Buckeyes

Urban Meyer thought a custom scarlet-and-gray jersey might soften Dave Portnoy’s Michigan-centric trolling, but the gesture backfired in real time. The former Ohio State coach handed over the No. 16 “El Presidente” kit on Big Noon Kickoff, and Portnoy barely looked at it before dismissing the colors as “pretty gross.” He capped the moment with trademark snark: “Thanks for the gift, my new house needs some toilet paper.” The line drew predictable boos, yet it also underlined why Portnoy remains appointment viewing; he can turn a friendly olive branch into viral kindling without breaking stride.

The tour de force didn’t end there. Decked out in a maize-and-blue T-shirt that screamed Still Can’t Beat Michigan, Portnoy let the Columbus crowd know exactly where he stood and then threw a parting jab, “You guys are very hospitable.” The sarcasm was deliberate; by flattering Buckeye fans while ridiculing their program in the same breath, he preserved his heel persona and ensured every clip would race across social feeds. It’s the unscripted theater Fox coveted when it inserted him onto its pre-game set, and the volatility athletic departments dissect when weighing whether the upside outweighs the blowback.

That calculus is precisely what Brett Yormark is testing with the Big 12’s unofficial “blank canvas” offer. Portnoy’s Urban Meyer takedown arrived just days before Ross Dellenger’s report about conference calls and campus activations. If Meyer’s good-natured gift can morph into toilet-paper fodder on national television, imagine what might unfold at a student-section promo in Ames or Austin. For the Big 12, Portnoy’s latest Buckeye barb serves as both proof of concept, he generates instant buzz, and a cautionary tale: hand him the mic, and no brand, rival, or credential list is off-limits.