“Everybody at Barstool is super excited to partner with the Fox Sports family. In our two-decade history, we’ve never had the chance to work with so much talent and resources,” said Dave Portnoy on partnering with FOX. Moreover, until now, Portnoy has been consistent with his media appearances. In the last game against Oklahoma, Portnoy was present and even called Bryce Underwood “the best freshman QB ever” in college football. However, Michigan lost that game 13-24, and it seems Portnoy has taken the loss to his heart, being absent from FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff at Northwestern.

“The newest member of our Big Noon Team Day, Portnoy. Not here this week,” announced Rob Stone. Within moments, the Northwestern crowd started booing Portnoy as Rob Stone laughed it off on camera. The boos continued, and with that disruption, Stone continued to announce details about Portnoy’s absence. “But it’s for good reason. He sends his regards from New York as his Michigan Wolverines get ready,” concluded Rob Stone. The camera then went to a video recorded by Portnoy from New York as he sent a special message to Michigan.

“All right. I know a lot of people think, like, where’s Dave? For the Big Noon Kickoff. Michigan loses poof, he disappears. He’s a coward; he won’t face the music,” said Portnoy. Later on, the Barstool Sports founder went on to give reasons behind his leave of absence due to reviewing pizzas in New York through his renowned ‘One Bite’ series. “Pizza Fest. I’m eating. I’m in New York, look at the books. It’s been on the books for three years. I had to do it,” announced Portnoy, while eating a pizza on the streets of New York.

Portnoy’s Barstool Sports doesn’t just have him as an analyst since it is led by other prominent faces, too. So, instead of attending himself, Portnoy sent Dan Katz on the Big Noon Kickoff for the Oregon vs Northwestern game at Evanston, Illinois. Katz, notably, is known for hosting the ‘Pardon My Take’ podcast, boasting more than 2 million followers on social media. “He is a Big Ten guy. He is a Barstool giant. He is the big cat,” said Rob Stone about Katz as he introduced him. As for Portnoy’s pizza side hustle, it’s quite notable in its own right.

Portnoy’s side hustle is a big thing in itself

Portnoy launched his “One Bite” series in 2015 and, ever since then, has reviewed and delivered candid takes on hundreds of different pizza eateries. His famous catchphrase, “One bite, everybody knows the rules,” has organically developed into a Barstool Sports cultural phenomenon, having reviewed over 3000 pizzas already in the U.S.A. and even in foreign countries. For instance, recently, he reviewed a pizza in New Jersey, and it showed why Portnoy is biased towards the New York-style pizzas.

“This is what pizza should be—crispy, not floppy, with a sauce that doesn’t drown the whole thing. 8.2, solid truck stop vibes,” said Dave Portnoy, reviewing Mona Lisa Pizza eatery. It’s evident then, Dave Portnoy leans a little towards those thin-crusty pizzas, disliking the Neapolitan style and floppy-tipped pizzas.

As for the Northwestern game, Oregon cruised comfortably past the Wildcats. Oregon started dominantly, scoring a touchdown in the first quarter and later backed it up with a field goal in the second quarter. Even when the third quarter came, the Wildcats didn’t open their scores, while Oregon took another 4-point lead. Northwestern did try coming back in the fourth quarter, scoring two touchdowns, but by the time the fourth quarter ended, there was nothing to be salvaged as Oregon won 34-14.