DAVE PORTNOY VS. INDIANA: From Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham to Notre Dame, IU and Hoosier Pizza, Barstool’s Boss Has Had Plenty to Say

Please Pardon HE's Take

INDIANAPOLIS — Dave Portnoy has never been accused of keeping his opinions to himself.

The founder of Barstool Sports has built a media empire by saying what he thinks, frequently saying what other people won't, and occasionally saying something that comes back to bite him.

And although Portnoy is a Massachusetts native and famously devoted University of Michigan fan, an interesting pattern has emerged over the years:

Dave Portnoy sure has a lot to say about Indiana.

Lately, much of it has revolved around Caitlin Clark, Sophie Cunningham and the Indiana Fever.

But dig through the Portnoy archives and you'll find Notre Dame football, Indiana University basketball, the Indianapolis 500 and even Hoosier pizza have entered the Portnoy universe.

So the Hoosier Enquirer decided to take a look at some of his Indiana hot takes — including a few that haven't necessarily aged particularly well.

And we're extending Portnoy an invitation at the end to write an article for the Hoosier Enquirer on any topic as a University of Michigan fan in the coming football season or on any topic that moves him. We at HE love Pardon My Take and the morning programming on Barstool, and take inspiration from his successes and hot takes.

Portnoy Goes to Bat for Caitlin Clark

Portnoy has emerged as one of Caitlin Clark's most outspoken defenders.

Barstool's own Indiana Fever archive illustrates just how heavily the company has covered Clark since she arrived in Indianapolis. Its Fever coverage has included stories about Clark's treatment by opponents, officiating, her enormous commercial value and even Portnoy being “on the front lines” for Clark.

Portnoy's latest Clark eruption came after another officiating controversy Saturday.

Clark initially received what would have been her eighth technical foul of the 2026 season after making contact with an official during Indiana's game against Chicago. An eighth technical would have triggered an automatic one-game suspension.

The WNBA subsequently rescinded the technical, leaving Clark eligible to play.

Portnoy's reaction before the reversal?

He urged Clark to consider leaving the WNBA and starting her own league, continuing his longstanding argument that the WNBA has repeatedly mishandled its biggest attraction.

It's classic Portnoy: provocative, probably impractical — and guaranteed to start a conversation.

Then Came Sophie Cunningham

Clark isn't the only Fever player who has caught Portnoy's attention.

Earlier this month, Indiana's Sophie Cunningham took an elbow to the face during a game against Minnesota — yet Cunningham was called for the foul.

Portnoy erupted.

His assessment of the WNBA was just two words:

“Sick League.” HE could not agree more.

Cunningham has also found herself at the center of a much larger cultural debate after speaking about transgender participation in women's sports.

When Clark was asked about Cunningham's position, she declined to turn the issue into her own political fight and instead said such questions should be handled by leagues and governing bodies.

That produced criticism of Clark from Megyn Kelly.

And Portnoy?

He defended Clark.

Portnoy argued, in substance, that Clark shouldn't be required to become a political spokesperson simply because reporters want her opinion about a controversial subject. The disagreement even produced a public Portnoy-Kelly clash.

Whatever one thinks of Portnoy, that's an interesting position for a man whose livelihood largely depends upon people publicly giving their opinions.

His position seems to be: Clark should be allowed to play basketball without being required to become America's political referee.

Fair enough.

Notre Dame? Portnoy Wasn't Nearly as Generous

Portnoy's relationship with Indiana sports gets considerably less friendly when the subject turns to Notre Dame.

In February 2024, amid debate surrounding expansion of the College Football Playoff, Portnoy questioned Notre Dame's continuing privileged position in college football.

He essentially argued that the Irish hadn't accomplished enough in the modern era to justify the attention, television exposure and special treatment surrounding the program.

Notre Dame, Portnoy suggested, had become a “relic of the past.” [ Here he is so wrong! ]

Ouch.

That's especially entertaining coming from one of the country's most recognizable Michigan fans.

Notre Dame and Michigan have one of college football's great historic rivalries, so perhaps

Hoosiers should apply the appropriate rivalry discount to Portnoy's analysis.

Still, Notre Dame remains one of the most recognizable brands in American college athletics. The last team to defeat Indiana University Hoosiers under coach Sig. And maybe the no. 1 team last season if let into the playoffs.

Maybe the reports of the Fighting Irish's death were slightly exaggerated.

IU Has Burned Portnoy, Too

Portnoy's Michigan allegiance has inevitably brought Indiana University into his crosshairs.

One of the funniest examples came during the 2022 Big Ten Tournament.

Michigan appeared to have Indiana beaten, and Portnoy celebrated accordingly.

Then the Hoosiers came roaring back.

Indiana erased a 17-point second-half deficit and defeated Michigan 74-69.

It provided a useful lesson for sports commentators everywhere:

Don't send the victory tweet until the clock says zero.

Especially when Indiana is on the other sideline.

Even the Indy 500 Got the Portnoy Treatment

Perhaps Portnoy's funniest Indiana introduction came courtesy of the Indianapolis 500.

Back in May 2021, Portnoy posed a question that probably caused a few Hoosiers to spit out their morning coffee:

“Do people go to the Indy 500? Is it fun?”

For Indiana, that's a little like asking New Orleans whether anyone goes to Mardi Gras.

Yes, Dave. People go. But give Portnoy credit for what happened next.

He actually came.

Portnoy and Barstool descended on Indianapolis during the 2021 Indy 500 weekend, promoted the “Barstool 500,” threw a major race-weekend party and generated a stream of content surrounding the Greatest Spectacle in Racing.

Portnoy even made it to Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where Barstool immortalized the occasion with perhaps the most Dave Portnoy-meets-Indiana headline imaginable:

“Dave Portnoy Eats Donuts At The Indianapolis Motor Speedway.”

Barstool's involvement wasn't some forgotten tweet, either. Portnoy subsequently devoted a segment of The Dave Portnoy Show to recapping the Indy 500 party.

So Portnoy's relationship with Indianapolis followed a wonderfully Portnoy-esque progression:

What's the Indy 500?

Is it fun?

And shortly thereafter:

Let's throw a giant Barstool party there.

That's actually an important chapter in Portnoy's Indiana history.

Because whatever Hoosiers think about him, Portnoy apparently discovered something generations of Indiana residents already knew:

The Indianapolis 500 isn't merely a race. It's an experience. And Dave Portnoy eventually showed up to experience it himself, which is something everyone should do, at least once.

Then Portnoy Came for the Pizza

Perhaps Portnoy's greatest cultural contribution isn't Barstool Sports at all.

It may be four words:

“One bite, everybody knows the rules.”

His pizza reviews have become an institution unto themselves, capable of introducing neighborhood pizza restaurants to enormous national audiences.

Naturally, Portnoy eventually encountered Indiana pizza.

And Indiana didn't exactly receive New Haven, Connecticut, numbers.

Portnoy has reportedly given Indianapolis institution Bazbeaux a 5.6 and Bloomington favorite Mother Bear's a 6.1.

Those are fighting numbers in some Indiana households.

But that's the Portnoy formula.

Eat pizza.

Give number.

Cause argument.

Repeat.

Why Portnoy and Indiana Actually Make Sense

There is something more interesting going on here than a collection of funny sports takes.

Portnoy built Barstool by understanding something traditional media organizations were slow to recognize:

Readers don't necessarily want journalists pretending they don't have opinions.

They want authenticity.

They want arguments.

They want personality.

And increasingly, they want someone willing to say, “This makes absolutely no sense.”

Indiana could use more of that.

Portnoy has been right about some things involving Indiana sports.

He's probably been spectacularly wrong about others.

But he's rarely boring. Never in fact.

And in a media environment filled with carefully scripted statements, corporate talking points and public-relations language engineered to offend absolutely nobody, being interesting has value.

Which brings us to our proposal.

Dave Portnoy, Here's Your Invitation

Dave, you've had plenty to say about us.

Now say it directly to us.

The Hoosier Enquirer invites Dave Portnoy to write a guest column about Indiana.

Pick the subject.

Tell Hoosiers what you really think about Caitlin Clark, the 500, or Coach Sig.

Tell us whether the WNBA knows what it has with the Indiana Fever.

Tell us what you think about Sophie Cunningham.

Tell Notre Dame why you thought it was becoming a relic.

Tell Indiana University fans why Michigan is better.

Tell Indianapolis whether you finally understand the Indy 500.

Or perhaps most importantly, explain why you're handing out 5s and 6s to Indiana pizza.

We'll even suggest the headline:

ONE BITE, ONE STATE: Dave Portnoy's Unfiltered Guide to Indiana

No PR people required. No carefully negotiated questions.

Just Portnoy being Portnoy.

The Hoosier Enquirer has spent plenty of time asking provocative questions of Indiana's politicians, institutions and power brokers.

Why shouldn't Indiana's most provocative sports personalities get the same treatment?

So consider this your invitation, Dave.

You've been talking about Indiana for years. Come talk to Indiana.