Dave Portnoy has never shied away from sharing his scathing critiques when he has an opinion. Well, that’s exactly what happened with LeBron James a couple of days ago. Since the Barstool Sports founder wasn’t happy with King James stepping in to shield Bronny James from media outrage, he penned, “It [is] one of the most ridiculous controversies in the history of civilization.” Days have passed, and Portnoy has remained unchanged, but this time, Pittsburgh Basketball is under his radar—and surprisingly, in a positive way.
13th-seeded Pittsburgh lost to No. 12 seed Notre Dame in the first game of the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament by a 55-54 margin in Charlotte, NC. And Portnoy didn’t hold back and took to his official X account, writing, “The ref who just called that foul at the end of Pitt vs. ND shouldn’t be allowed to ref a basketball game the rest of his life. Just the worst call in the history of basketball. Disgusting.”
The ref who just called that foul at the end of Pitt vs ND shouldn’t be allowed to ref a basketball game the rest of his life. Just the worst call in the history of basketball. Disgusting. #pitt #nd
— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) March 11, 2025
Yes, it wasn’t Pittsburgh or Notre Dame, but the officials facing backlash from Portnoy. It all happened after both the Panthers and the Fighting Irish struggled throughout the game. By halftime, Notre Dame held a 25-22 lead. Then, Irish forward Nikita Konstantynovskyi hit a layup to tie the game at 54, with less than a minute remaining. Later, Tae Davis attempted a potential game-winning layup in the final seconds but missed. Overtime, right? But nothing of the sort happened. Instead, a foul was called on Pittsburgh forward Zack Austin.
In turn, Davis hit the first free throw and missed the second, giving Notre Dame the 55-54 win in stunning fashion. This sparked a heated debate among fans, who fired at the officials for making a controversial call in such a crucial moment. Portnoy was one of them.
He was also joined by fellow Barstool personality Big Ev, as the two expressed their astonishment at the game’s conclusion. They even recorded their reaction in a TikTok video. Feels like March Madness, right? Well, there’ll be more of Portnoy’s criticism throughout the tournament—especially during the Final Four weekend in San Antonio.
Dave Portnoy unleashed: Expect peak criticism as Barstool takes over the Final Four!
For this season, Barstool Sports—the sports, culture, and entertainment brand—will be hosting two live podcasting sessions at River North Ice House on April 4 and 5 to kick off the 2025 Men’s Final Four festivities. This simply means some of the biggest sports personalities across the nation will be heading to Alamo City to debate the tournament’s biggest moments.
While San Antonians await the arrival of college basketball powerhouses, Portnoy and Barstool will ensure that everyone has a great time. Well, that’s exactly what they’re known for—among their 1.8 million YouTube subscribers, 17 million Instagram followers, and 45.8 million TikTok followers.
However, this isn’t the first time Portnoy has participated in the NCAA Tournament. Just last year, he made waves by placing a $600,000 bet on the University of Connecticut to win the 2024 national title. Of course, he lost all his money since LSU won. But this season, things could be different. Let’s see if Portnoy puts any money forward this time!
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