Dave Portnoy hadn’t been to Salt Lake City before this week.
But after spending Saturday morning on Fox’s “Big Noon Kickoff” set, he’s already embracing the BYU-Utah rivalry.
“After being here for a few days, I think there’s a chance the BYU-Utah rivalry is the most heated rivalry we’ve got in the country,” he said.
On Barstool’s show broadcast outside Rice-Eccles Stadium, Portnoy led chants of “F--- BYU” to the crowd. “Big Noon Kickoff” host Rob Stone also led the same chant.
“Every time I’ve mentioned Utah this week, BYU people have been like, ‘You don’t know s---. Wait until you come to Provo,’” Portnoy said. “It is an ongoing Holy War.”
Fellow Barstool personality, Dan Katz, added his own thoughts.
“I will tell you one thing about BYU. They use that mascot way too much,” he said. “Every time I turn on a BYU game, they are like, ‘Look at our f---ing lion jumping in the pool.’ Play football, stop with the mascot. F--- Cosmo.”
(Chris Samuels | The Salt Lake Tribune) Former Utah head coach Urban Meyer acknowledges the crowd on the set of Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff before Utah plays Texas Tech in Salt Lake City, Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025.
Portnoy added on social media later that, “Utah [the crowd] is going bonkers. Not sure BYU has this energy despite all the s--- they talk.”
Utah will play BYU on Oct. 18 this year in Provo.
(Chris Samuels | The Salt Lake Tribune) Fox and Barstool personalities on the set of Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff before Utah plays Texas Tech in Salt Lake City, Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025.