The Big 12 Conference reached out to Barstool Sports with partnership opportunities after Ohio State banned the media company from its campus and barred Dave Portnoy from entering Ohio Stadium for the Texas-Ohio State matchup.
Brett Yormark, the Big 12 Commissioner, and conference athletic directors held a 40-minute call with Portnoy to discuss potential collaboration opportunities. Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports first reported the news.
Interesting: Brett Yormark and Big 12 ADs held a 40-minute call today with Dave Portnoy, offering him a “blank canvas” of engagement opportunities and emphasizing their full support of integrating the Barstool brand across league campuses, starting this week with Iowa State-Iowa.
The Big 12 described the partnership potential as a “blank canvas” and emphasized full support for integrating Barstool across conference campuses.
Portnoy confirmed his interest in working with the conference.
I can not confirm or deny this conference call took place. Gun to head I’d say it probably took place and @barstoolsports is very excited to work with @Big12Conference
Jamie Pollard, Iowa State’s athletic director, made the partnership possibility clear with a pointed social media post. He took a direct shot at Ohio State while announcing Barstool’s presence at the Iowa-Iowa State game.
Iowa State is not Ohio State – Dave Portnoy and @barstoolsports will be live from the Reiman Plaza Saturday as part of Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff.
The show will broadcast from Iowa State’s campus as part of Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff coverage.
This marks a significant shift for Barstool after its rocky start to the college football season. Ohio State’s ban prevented the company from hosting its college football show in Columbus during one of the season’s biggest games.
The Big 12 has a history of unconventional partnerships under Yormark’s leadership. The conference announced a partnership with WWE in November 2023, showing its willingness to work with non-traditional sports media brands.
Both organizations could benefit from cross-promotion opportunities across their respective platforms. The Big 12’s openness to the partnership contrasts sharply with Ohio State’s approach to working with Barstool.
