Big Noon Kickoff is heading to Columbus for Saturday’s blockbuster between Ohio State and Texas. But the pregame party isn’t drama-free. One of the show’s newest personalities reportedly won’t be allowed inside the stadium once the cameras shift from campus. So, the fresh Fox-Barstool partnership is already stirring headlines before a single snap. And which new face is caught in the middle?

Ohio State has drawn a hard line with Barstool Sports. The school is barring founder Dave Portnoy from campus and from stepping inside Ohio Stadium for Saturday’s massive opener against Texas, sources told Front Office Sports. Although Portnoy will still have a spot on Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff, he won’t be part of the show’s closing segments inside the stadium, according to a source. However, the Barstool College Football Show won’t look quite like it was first pitched. According to a source, the show, which was set to lead into Big Noon on several occasions, is shifting from its original plan. So, when the partnership was announced, Fox made it clear the Barstool crew would travel with Big Noon for only “select” dates. But that’s not the end of it.

One source told FOS that Fox always expected pushback with Dave Portnoy and OSU, and never planned on his setting foot inside the Horseshoe. Here, former Buckeye LB Bobby Carpenter doubled down on his Columbus radio show, saying plenty of folks at his alma mater “are not all that happy about [Portnoy] being hired” by Fox. Even his co-host, Austin Ward, didn’t mince words either and said, Portnoy is simply “not welcome inside the Horseshoe.” So, as for official word? Fox Sports declined to comment, while OSU football stayed silent.

But Portnoy isn’t just any outsider. He’s a Michigan grad who’s spent years trolling OSU and HC Ryan Day, especially during the Wolverines’ recent dominance in The Game. On top of that, he even teamed up with Oracle founder Larry Ellison, Michigan alum Tom Brady, and Keren Zhu to help lure five-star QB Bryce Underwood to Ann Arbor. Now, with Fox’s Big Noon frequently landing in Columbus, this clash feels less like a one-time drama and more like the start of a recurring rivalry. But Buckeye fans weren’t buying it. One fired back online, stating, “If this is real, it’s embarrassing.” And that was only the beginning.

Fans went wild over OSU’s move regarding Dave Portnoy

Ohio State’s decision didn’t sit well with everyone. Critics piled on, blasting the Buckeyes for being ‘too soft’. And one fan fired off, saying, “In the last year, Ohio State got a law made about flag planting and banned a Michigan fan. So soft. 🤣” Another simply added, “Ohio soft.” So, the message was clear: OSU’s move to keep Dave Portnoy out drew more ridicule than respect. And the reason couldn’t be more obvious.

Dave Portnoy has turned trolling OSU and Ryan Day into an art form. He once sent a plane flying over Columbus with a banner screaming, “Extend Ryan Day, #GoBlue,” while decked out in Michigan gear. Then, when Day landed a contract extension, Portnoy fired back online with a blunt “LFG.” Not even the Buckeyes’ national title celebration escaped him; he mocked their TV ratings against Notre Dame with a sharp jab: “Yikes… Like I said, nobody cared. …We own you.” So, from the skies to social media, Portnoy makes sure Ohio State never forgets who’s laughing. Now, following that, fans didn’t hold back.

One fan blasted the decision as “the ultimate in fragility.” Another piled on, calling it the “softest move of all time by OSU.” So, the backlash was loud, and the Buckeyes quickly found themselves under fire. And to top it off, one fan took a sharper jab, writing, “Can’t let him around kids, smoke.” The comment lit up the thread, adding even more fuel to the fire around OSU’s decision.