Big Noon Kickoff couldn’t be the show it is without the people. From Dave Portnoy’s passion to Tom Rinaldi’s storytelling, those people make the memories possible and give us moments like pump-up speeches, high-stakes bets and feel-good segments.
Looking back on this year of the FOX Sports college football Saturday pregame show, here are our favorite Big Noon Kickoff moments from this season.
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10. Dave Portnoy’s Michigan Jacket
Portnoy got creative with his pregame outfit before the Michigan–Ohio State game. He purchased a checkered jacket from University Vintage, a store on Michigan’s campus.
“I feel good. I look good,” Portnoy said.
9. Rob Gronkowski Goes Shirtless
At Big Noon Kickoff prior to the Cincinnati-BYU game, a group of Bearcats’ fans with their shirts off encouraged Rob Gronkowski to join them. After a moment of reluctance, Gronk obliged. He ripped off his shirt and joined the rowdy fans.
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8. Celebrating Urban Meyer’s HOF Induction
Meyer was honored with a video of him morphing from each job that he had along his Hall of Fame coaching career. Meyer was a graduate assistant at Ohio State, a linebacker, quarterback and wide receiver coach at Illinois State, a wide receivers coach at Colorado State and then Notre Dame. He got his first head-coaching job at Bowling Green in 2001, then took over at Utah in 2003, before heading to Florida, where he won two national championships. His final coaching stop came at Ohio State, where he helped the Buckeyes win the 2014 title.
7. Big Cat’s Ice Bath
Big Cat did an interview from an ice bath to show fans what it’s like. It was quite the watch.
“I feel terrible,” he said.
After Big Cat got into the bath, Portnoy poured the ice.
“This is humiliating,” Portnoy said.
It might look simple when an athlete takes an ice bath to recover after a game, but Big Cat made it look pretty stressful and unenjoyable.
6. Dave Portnoy’s OSU-MICH Pre-game Speech
Portnoy gave a spirited proclamation before Michigan’s rivalry game against Ohio State:
“Two-thousand one-hundred and ninety-one days since Ohio State beat Michigan… There’s people born in Ohio who have never seen the Buckeyes beat Michigan.”
Meyer, Ohio State’s former coach, looked on in dismay as Portnoy said that he told the Big Noon Kickoff panel that the Ohio State game is “the easiest game” on Michigan’s schedule.
“We beat them every single year.”
That streak ended in 2025 as the Buckeyes beat the Wolverines, 27-9.
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5. Matt Leinart Loses Bet to Brady Quinn
Matt Leinart lost a bet to Brady Quinn, but he didn’t owe him a normal, monetary reward. Instead, after Quinn’s Notre Dame Irish dominated Leinart’s USC Trojans, 34-24, Leinart had to appear on Big Noon Kickoff in an Irish costume. He went all out.
From top to bottom, he had a green hat and green sunglasses. He had a fake ginger beard, a green bow tie and green necklace. He had a bedazzled green vest and jacket, to boot. He even had high socks that came up to his green trousers. Quinn couldn’t have asked for a better replica of Notre Dame’s mascot if he tried.
“I got everything,” Leinart said. “Listen, I’m a man of my word.”
Unfortunately, that bet will be put on pause as USC and Notre Dame did not renew their rivalry heading into the 2026 season.
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4. Dave Portnoy Trolls Ohio State Fans
Portnoy said he wouldn’t troll Ohio State fans, but then he did. He took off his hoodie and under it was a shirt that read “still can’t beat Michigan.”
3. Tom Brady Explains the History of “The Game”
Tom Brady knows a thing or two about the history of “The Game”, and what it means to play a part in the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry. He attended Michigan for four years, starting against the Buckeyes as a junior and senior, earning a victory in the rivalry in his final season.
“It’s everything,” Brady said. But then he trailed off, and rather than explaining the nostalgia, he opted to trash talk Ohio State. Because, of course.
“Is it a rivalry? We’ve won four straight for God’s sake. [Urban Meyer’s] got an ugly tie on. I saw Matt Patricia. I’ve already been talking a lot of smack today.”
2. Brady Quinn Bumps Rob Stone
FOX Sports commentator Rob Stone was trying to do his job, but Brady Quinn and Mark Ingram were making it difficult. Quinn bumped Stone mid-report, while Ingram danced in the background.
Stone took it well, smiling as Quinn walked by. He was unphased by Ingram’s moves.
“I’m trying to tease the State Farm halftime show,” Stone said.
1. Urban Meyer’s Gift to Dave
After all the trash talk from the Michigan men, Portnoy and Brady, Meyer had the final word. He gifted Portnoy a red Buckeyes’ jersey with No. 18 on the back underneath Portnoy’s patented nickname: “El Presidente”.
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