Michigan’s biggest fan isn’t all that worried.
Puffing on a cigar in the wake of the NCAA’s $20 million fine over the sign-stealing scandal that rocked college football, Barstool Sports CEO and Michigan alum Dave Portnoy laughed off the punishment.
“So the big, bad NCAA, that d–ckless organization — on the way out, corrupt, loses every lawsuit against them, NIL, can’t control nothing — they just fined Michigan $20 million, like we give a f–k about $20 million,” he said in one of his patented X videos. “Twenty million, that’s ashtray money, bro.”
ESPN estimates the fines will clear $20 million and could go north of $30 million.
The financial penalties start with a $50,000 fine, a 10% fine on the football budget, 10% on Michigan’s 2025-26 scholarships and the loss of postseason football revenue from the next two seasons.
Personnel-wise, coach Sherrone Moore received a one-game suspension on top of the two games he will miss this upcoming season, former coach Jim Harbaugh earned a 10-year show-cause order and Connor Stalions, a low-level staffer who allegedly masterminded the electronic recording of opposing teams’ signs, was handed an eight-year show-cause order.
Notably, the NCAA did not vacate the Wolverines’ 2023 national title.
Warning: Explicit language
Portnoy, who has pledged $1-3 million annually to help the Wolverines recruit top quarterbacks, invoked the school’s NIL deal with Bryce Underwood as proof there’s nothing to worry about.
“That’s like what, one quarter of Bryce Underwood? We don’t care about $20 million. Conor Stalions, U.S. Marine by the way, he can’t coach for eight years, for what, being great at decoding signals and serving his country? I don’t care, it doesn’t matter, Ohio State? Cry. Little brother, cry. All you other schools, cry.
“It’s gonna be student body left, student body right, we’ve got a quarterback, the forward pass is back in our office, and we’re gonna mash ya, just like we’ve mashed Ohio State for the past hundred years. Haven’t beat us since the days of Covid. Let ’em cry, let ’em whine. Let ’em take that $20 million — to a Michigan man? Ashtray money, bro — We’re gonna see you Thanksgiving Day weekend and we’re going to beat the piss out of you, and no $20 million is gonna change that. Twenty million? Like we give a f–k about twenty million.”
Portnoy, one of the most vocal Wolverines backers out there, will have every chance to continue making his case for Michigan supremacy and on a much more national stage than before — Barstool Sports’ deal with Fox Sports will put him on the “Big Noon Kickoff” panel, where he’s already promised to keep tormenting rival Ohio State fans.
“We own the Big Ten and we’re coming for you,” he said. “See you on ‘Big Noon Kickoff,’ I’m gonna be there, Columbus.”
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
