Ohio State has reportedly decided that Dave Portnoy will not be allowed inside their stadium on Saturday, but disgraced former Michigan staffer Connor Stalions is offering to help get the Barstool Sports founder in.
Portnoy will be part of FOX Sports’ “Big Noon Kickoff” coverage this season after the network reached a deal with him last month. Barstool Sports content will also be featured on FS1 as part of the agreement.
This Saturday, FOX’s “Big Noon Kickoff” will be live from Columbus, where No. 3 Ohio State is hosting No. 1 Texas in the most highly anticipated game of Week 1. Ryan Glasspiegel of Front Office Sports reported on Monday that Portnoy, a Michigan alum who relentlessly trolls the Buckeyes, will not be permitted to enter Ohio Stadium.
The plan is for Portnoy to still appear on “Big Noon Kickoff” prior to the game, but he will not take part in coverage when the show moves inside the stadium.
Portnoy responded to the news of the ban via social media by sharing a photo of himself in the infamous disguise he wore when he was handcuffed and kicked out of the Super Bowl in 2019. Stalions replied to Portnoy’s post by asking, “You need tickets?”
You need tickets?
— Connor Stalions (@cpstalions) August 26, 2025
Stalions, of course, was the orchestrator of Michigan’s sign-stealing scandal two years ago. An investigation into the espionage by Stalions revealed that he purchased tickets to more than two dozen Big Ten games and forwarded them to people who would attend the games and record signals for him.
The rivalry between Ohio State and Michigan remains as fierce as ever, with the Buckeyes winning a national title last year and Wolverines winning it the year before. Portnoy has put himself right at the center of things and even helped Michigan lure their new starting quarterback to Ann Arbor.
Ohio State is only going to rile up Portnoy and his supporters more with the ban, but the defending champions are obviously fine with that.
