When Fox first announced the addition of Dave Portnoy to the cast of Big Noon Kickoff, many were quick to speculate about what the interactions between the Barstool Sports founder and Urban Meyer might look like.
But if there are going to be regular segments between the diehard Michigan fan and the former Ohio State head coach, that’s news to Meyer, who says he still hasn’t spoken to Portnoy since his hiring was first revealed last month.
“I’ve met him one time. He came by. I just don’t follow much. I’m not a social media person,” the 3-time national champion head coach told reporters in Bowling Green on Thursday. “My daughter is so excited about it, she says it’s really going to explode. And then all of a sudden, I see all the chaos. So I’m just going to go do my job. I guess I gotta hear about the Wolverines all the time. But we were 7-0, so whatever.”
Urban Meyer asked by @skrajisnik3 to weigh in on Dave Portnoy joining Big Noon Kickoff (stay for the end) pic.twitter.com/cI1qSs441t
— Mark Kunz (@MarkAKunz) August 28, 2025
Meyer’s comments regarding the “chaos” appear to be a reference to the controversy surrounding Portnoy’s claim that Ohio State has banned him from appearing inside of Ohio Stadium during this Saturday’s Big Noon Kickoff season premiere. The university, however, has refuted that’s what happened, insisting that the Boston native won’t be appearing inside of “the Horseshoe” because he isn’t scheduled to be on BNK‘s main desk for the final hour of the show, which typically takes place inside the host’s stadium.
Regardless of the real reasoning for Portnoy not being inside of Ohio Stadium on Saturday, all of this speaks to the likelihood that the 48-year-old won’t have as significant of a role on the weekly Fox pregame show as many initially believed. If Portnoy was going to have a starring role, one would imagine that he and Meyer would have at least had a conversation by now outside of their chance encounter at a college football game last winter.
Bumped into old friend @CoachUrbanMeyer at the Game. Talked a little ball. #GoBlue pic.twitter.com/GpjIPC41uy
— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) December 14, 2024
Even Portnoy has recently admitted he’s still not sure how he’ll be used on Big Noon Kickoff, with the show’s gambling guru, Chris “The Bear” Fallica also stating that the media coverage regarding the hiring hasn’t been in line with the Barstool honcho’s actual role. As for what that role will be, that’s still unclear — although it’s apparently one that hasn’t required him to meet with one of the show’s biggest stars in Urban Meyer before Saturday’s debut.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.