The Michigan-Ohio State rivalry is extremely online this year as Ohio State has allegedly banned Dave Portnoy and Barstool Sports from campus ahead of the Buckeyes' season-opener against Texas.
The first story on the alleged ban came out this week by Front Office Sports. It has since been refuted by Ohio State athletic director Ross Bjork. Portnoy has since fired back with his own refuting in an emergency press conference.
According to Portnoy, travel and production had been booked and had to be canceled, but he wasn't going to say anything out of courtesy for FOX. However, Bobby Carpenter, a former Ohio State linebacker who "has a podcast that nobody listens to" broke the news that people in the administration had banned him and it became a story.
Here's Portnoy's side of the story:
I want Michigan vs Ohio to mean something again. And I love the people of Columbus outside the football team they root for. Good clean hardworking people. So I am going to give Buckeye Nation free advice. Stop pointing the finger. Look in the mirror. Get better. Get tougher. https://t.co/ZltE91GVtn pic.twitter.com/MLmnMkZI4q
— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) August 26, 2025
"So the big story involving me right now is Ohio State banning me from entering The Shoe to be part of Big Noon Kickoff on the field," explained Portnoy. "They also banned the Barstool Sports College Football Show. We were supposed to be in Columbus. We talked about being in Columbus. And then we got word that Ohio State was not going to allow us to be on campus with Big Noon Kickoff."
"You banned me," said Portnoy. "You're scared of Michigan. And the only way you guys are ever going to compete with us again is if you can look yourselves in the mirror and be honest with yourselves. Not this 'oh we didn't do this. They're stealing signs. Connor Stalions.' It's you guys. It's not the block M. Until you can look in the mirror and be like take accountability for your actions. 'Yeah we banned him.' Just say it. 'Yeah, we banned him.' Don't point the finger. Don't blame Connor Stalions. Don't blame the hammer. Just look in the mirror and say 'we're weak, we're soft and until we get better we're never gonna beat this team.'"
This should make things interesting for FOX this weekend and during any return trips to Columbus.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Dave Portnoy Insists He and Barstool Sports Were Banned From Ohio State.
