Dave Portnoy has never been shy about sharing his opinions on sports, but his latest college football discussion has given fans a reason to question his knowledge of the game. A conversation about Alabama and Tennessee took an unexpected turn when the Barstool Sports founder admitted he did not know much about their rivalry.

For fans who have followed college football for years, that admission was hard to believe. And with Portnoy’s recent exit from Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff still fresh, the reaction on social media soon took a familiar turn.

Dave Portnoy’s Alabama-Tennessee Comments Draw Criticism

Portnoy admitted on the Barstool College Football Show that he was unfamiliar with the history behind Alabama’s rivalry with Tennessee. After questioning whether Tennessee was a bigger Alabama rival than LSU, Portnoy said he texted former Crimson Tide running back Mark Ingram to confirm Alabama’s biggest rivalries.

The exchange surprised fans because Alabama and Tennessee first met in 1901. Known as the “Third Saturday in October,” the rivalry became a fixture of the Southeastern Conference calendar and remains one of college football’s most recognizable annual matchups.

The series has featured lengthy runs of dominance on both sides. Alabama won 15 consecutive meetings from 2007 to 2021 under former coach Nick Saban, while Tennessee claimed seven straight victories from 1995 to 2001. This tradition also includes the winning team lighting victory cigars, a custom commonly traced to Alabama’s 1961 win over Tennessee.

Portnoy’s admission prompted fans to question how someone involved in national sports coverage could be unfamiliar with such an established rivalry.

One fan wrote on X, “Dave Portnoy didn’t know Alabama Tennessee was a rivalry…. Man [expletive] are we even doing at this point lmao.”

Another commenter questioned his broader knowledge of the sport, writing, “You cover sports & don’t know sports. Pathetic.”

The criticism soon extended to Portnoy’s recent departure from Fox Sports’ Big Noon Kickoff. Fox removed Portnoy and Barstool from “Big Noon Kickoff” in early October, and some fans used the clip to revisit that decision.

One viewer wrote, “Hadn’t really paid attention because I don’t watch any of the football Saturday shows but… it now makes complete sense why they kicked this guy off of the Fox show.”

Another reaction was shorter, “That’s embarrassing.”

A separate fan pointed to Portnoy’s previous role on the national pregame program, writing, “Until a couple weeks ago, this is someone that Fox deemed credible enough to sit behind a desk and deliver commentary on this sport btw.”

Others directly connected the viral moment to his exit. One fan wrote, “And he wonders why he got kicked off big noon lmao.”

Another user added, “Best thing Fox did was kick a casual off the pre game show…this is pathetic.”

The debate arrives as No. 6 Alabama prepares to face No. 14 Tennessee at Neyland Stadium.

With the rivalry’s long history and annual significance, Portnoy’s comments have become another talking point surrounding one of the SEC’s most familiar matchups.