Ohio State bars Portnoy from stadium; Barstool access limited

Columbus is preparing for a marquee college football broadcast with a notable exception: Ohio State has barred Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy from entering Ohio Stadium for the season-opening game against Texas, even as Portnoy remains part of Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff presentation from outside the venue. The university has also restricted Barstool’s access to campus ahead of the matchup, marking a rare clash between a university and a media partner over on-site involvement for a high-profile broadcast.

Portnoy’s participation in the Fox program will continue, but the show’s closing segments inside the stadium are not planned to feature him. The arrangement underscores a continued split between the network’s broadcast ambitions and the university’s campus access policies as Fox leans into its Week 1 blockbuster, a game that matches No. 3 Ohio State against No. 1 Texas before a national audience.

The evolving partnership between Fox and Barstool Sports has been a focal point of discussion in the run-up to the season, with plans for the Barstool College Football Show to be integrated with Big Noon Kickoff on select dates. In Columbus, however, the on-site component of...