Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy appears headed back to television as a major part of a top college football pregame show.
FOX Sports is near a deal with Portnoy that will see him appear on the network’s “Big Noon Kickoff,” according to Ryan Glasspiegel of Front Office Sports. Barstool Sports content would also be featured on FS1 as part of the deal, likely to fill programming hours vacated by the network’s recent cancellations.
It is unclear the extent of Barstool programming that would pop up on FS1, or which personalities would appear. It is also unclear how big Portnoy’s role on “Big Noon Kickoff” would be, though it appears likely to be a significant one.
Barstool previously went into business with ESPN, but that did not last long. One would imagine FS1 would be a more appropriate home for the company’s sometimes controversial content.
Portnoy would likely be viewed as FOX’s answer to Pat McAfee, who has reinvigorated ESPN’s rival program “College GameDay” in recent years. The network has made a real effort to challenge ESPN’s supremacy in the college football pregame department, particularly by making Urban Meyer a major part of their show. They even tried to attract top ESPN talent for the show, but were not successful.
Notably, Portnoy is a Michigan grad who may have played a role in helping the Wolverines land a top quarterback recruit. The dynamic with Meyer would certainly be interesting if this deal comes to pass.p
