Dave Portnoy shuts down Fox Sports deal rumor but not before trolling Ohio State fans

What started as a bombshell report has quickly turned into a full-blown Twitter circus with Dave Portnoy right in the center, doing exactly what he does best. Earlier today, Front Office Sports reported that Fox Sports is nearing a deal with Barstool Sports that would bring Portnoy onto Big Noon Kickoff and add Barstool content to FS1’s lineup.

The report made immediate waves, sending the sports internet into a frenzy.

Dave Portnoy calls Fox Sports deal “nothing more than rumors,” takes shot at Ohio State anyway

Just when the news spread, Dave Portnoy tweeted.“These are nothing more than rumors at this point,” he wrote. “But all the crying from Columbus is making me feel like it’s Thanksgiving Day weekend again and Michigan is pounding a hapless Buckeye team into the mud for the billionth straight year.” 😂😂😂

So no denial. No confirmation. Just maximum trolling, especially at the expense of Ohio State.

So is the Fox-Barstool deal happening or not?

As of now, the deal is reportedly still in the discussion phase. Front Office Sports said it would be “expansive,” involving:

But Portnoy’s tweet has slowed the hype train at least temporarily.He didn’t deny any meetings or discussions outright. Instead, he did what he always does: downplayed the news while making himself the story.

If the deal goes through, it still has major implications

Even if it’s not official yet, the idea of Portnoy joining Big Noon Kickoff is already generating buzz.

With ESPN stacking its pregame show with Pat McAfee, Fox bringing in Portnoy would mark a clear counter-move aimed at younger, digital-first fans.And since Fox is also a major NFL broadcaster, this deal could ripple across both college football and NFL coverage especially if Barstool starts dominating FS1 time slots during the week.

Final word: He says “just rumors,” but Portnoy’s already acting like he’s on set

So maybe it’s not a done deal. Maybe it’s early talks. Or maybe it’s all just master-level trolling by Dave Portnoy, who managed to throw Ohio State under the bus, fuel media speculation, and go viral, all with one tweet.One thing’s for sure: if Fox wasn’t sold on signing him yet, the internet just made their decision a whole lot easier.Also read - Fans call Caleb Williams “gay” again after new photos show him rocking blue nail polish