So far, the 2025 college football season has had more drama off the field than on the field, headlined by what happened with Dave Portnoy and Barstool Sports last weekend in Columbus. Ohio State and the rest of the Big Ten agreed with FOX that he would not be allowed in stadiums. Well, the Big 12 is going the opposite route and leaning into the attention of it all.

Yahoo Sports college football Ross Dellenger reported that Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark and the rest of the Big 12 athletic directors held a 40-minute conference call on Wednesday with Dave Portnoy and offered him a “blank canvas” of engagement opportunities and want Barstool Sports to integrate into their campuses across the conference.

Dellenger posted on X: “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 news confirms that Dave Portnoy and Barstool Sports will be on campus at Iowa State this weekend for the battle of the Cy-Hawk trophy.
All of this drama started when FOX made a significant partnership with Barstool Sports for the football season. Portnoy would be a mainstay on Big Noon Kickoff, and Barstool Sports would have a daily morning show on FOX Sports 1 during the week.
Portnoy's ban became a story nationwide when he was barred from the stadium. Then, they tried to walk it back as much as possible.
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This weekend, he can fully participate. He will be at the desk with Urban Meyer, Matt Leinart, Brady Quinn, Mark Ingram, Chris “The Bear” Fallica, and host Rob Stone on the weekly pregame show.
The Big 12 loves attention. They have leaned into how chaotic they are as a conference despite not having as many marquee programs as the SEC, Big Ten, and ACC. That is highlighted by them having a championship wrestling belt that goes to the conference winner.
This is a big rivalry game, especially in Iowa, because these two teams hate each other. They both have started the year playing well, but Iowa State has looked better, highlighted by a massive win against Kansas State in Ireland to kick off the season.