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Fox Sports looks set to shake up its schedule in a major way ahead of the 2025 college football season.
The company — and its network arm, FS1 — reportedly sacked 10 hosts and analysts earlier in the week. It didn't wait long to find some replacements, either, as FS1 is reportedly targeting Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy to help bolster its college football coverage in the fall.
Portnoy is an infamous figure in the world of sports media, known just as much for his antics — such as siccing his followers on his critics on social media and allegations of sexual misconduct — as he is for his actual analysis. It seems FS1 is banking on him bringing droves of his acolytes into the network's orbit in the coming few months.
Here's what you need to know.
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Fox Sports-Dave Portnoy deal, explained
Portnoy and Barstool Sports are expected to play a part in FS1's coverage in the near future. Front Office Sports' Ryan Glasspiegel reported that Portnoy is nearing a deal with the channel that would see him join its college football pregame program, "Big Noon Kickoff."
The deal has yet to be finalized, but it would also see Barstool content aired on FS1. The details regarding a potential partnership between Barstool and FS1 remain murky, but it's likely that a licensing agreement would allow the network to air select Barstool programming.
"Big Noon Kickoff" has proved one of FS1's biggest draws since its 2019 debut. The program, which features Urban Meyer, Matt Leinart, Brady Quinn, Mark Ingram, Chris Fallica, Rob Stone, and, on occasion, Charles Woodson, duels head-to-head with ESPN's signature college football pregame show, "College GameDay."
By that logic, Portnoy should serve a similar role to that of Pat McAfee. Both are highly visible, outspoken types who resonate with a certain type of 18-to-34-year-old men.
FS1's decision to seek out Portnoy's services is a curious one given his controversies. In 2021, Portnoy was accused of sexually assaulting multiple women. He's called various female sports reporters slurs and has been on record "joking" about rape while suggesting he doesn't condone it. His actions inspired a student group at Boston University to push for the school to shut down Barstool BU's social media account.
That wasn't enough to prevent FS1 from showing interest in the 48-year-old, though.
Fox Sports firings
Fox Sports reportedly pulled the plug on a trio of programs, with "Speak," "Breakfast Ball," and "The Facility" all set to end their run, according to The Athletic's Andrew Marchand. Those moves will see the following personalities leave the company:
- Joy Taylor
- Keyshawn Johnson
- Paul Pierce
- Craig Carton
- Mark Schlereth
- Danny Parkins
- Emmanuel Acho
- Chase Daniel
- James Jones
- LeSean McCoy
"Speak" was co-hosted by Taylor, Johnson and Pierce. The former came under fire when she was named in an explosive lawsuit filed by one of the network's former make-up artists alleging workplace misconduct. The suit, filed by Noushin Faraji, claimed that Taylor engaged in sexual relationships with Acho and executive Charlie Dixon at the same time.
Faraji also alleged that Taylor told her to "get over it" when she reported that Dixon sexually harassed her. Taylor was summarily "sidelined" by the network for two weeks before returning to her post on March 10.
"Speak," "Breakfast Ball," and "The Facility" were all created by Dixon, who Faraji accused of sexual battery. He left the network in late April.
FS1 is expected to produce new shows in light of the three programs' cancellations.
Dave Portnoy net worth
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Portnoy is valued at $150 million. The Michigan alum established Barstool Sports in 2003, envisioning it as a sort of common-man free newspaper directed at young male sports fans. The company has since morphed into a media conglomerate, replete with podcasts, merchandise, livestreams, and betting content.
In Feb. 2020, Penn Entertainment purchased a 36% stake in Barstool Sports for $163 million. Penn acquired the remainder of the company in Feb. 2023, shelling out an additional $388 million. Six months later, Portnoy bought back the company for $1.
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