Dave Portnoy fires shot at Taylor Lewan, Will Compton on landing ESPN gig 8 months after controversial Barstool Sports exit

Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy took a swipe at ESPN on Thursday after the network announced it was bringing former NFL players Taylor Lewan and Will Compton onto its programming lineup.

The pair, known for co-hosting the podcast "Bussin’ With The Boys," will appear regularly on "Get Up." They will also contribute across other ESPN shows beginning September 4, according to ESPN’s announcement earlier in the day.

Portnoy responded on X:

“ESPN is officially Barstool Jr.”

Dave Portnoy

@stoolpresidente

ESPN is officially Barstool Jr.

Lewan and Compton cut ties with Barstool in January. At the time, Portnoy described the exit as amicable, noting the duo had landed a lucrative offer to take their brand elsewhere.

Eight months later, that new landing spot is ESPN

Dave Portnoy clarifies attack was aimed at ESPN executives, not former hosts

Dave Portnoy

@stoolpresidente

Don’t show these guys that both Pat and AJ were part of the original Barstool college football show.

The remark drew speculation that Dave Portnoy was targeting Taylor Lewan and Will Compton, whose podcast previously operated under the Barstool umbrella.

Within hours, Portnoy clarified that his criticism was reserved for ESPN executives rather than the two hosts.

"People confuse my disdain for ESPN with the people who work there,” Portnoy wrote.

“Pat is a megastar. Everybody knows I love the Bussin guys. I absolutely despise the snakes who run the place. Corporate weasels.”

Dave Portnoy’s jab arrives at a moment when ESPN and Barstool are once again brushing up against each other in the sports media space. The two sides briefly tried working together in 2017 with the short-lived Barstool Van Talk, which was canceled almost immediately after internal resistance at ESPN.

Meanwhile, Barstool is to debut its own daily show on FS1, "Wake Up Barstool", in early September. This places it head-to-head with ESPN’s morning slate. Portnoy also signed on to appear regularly on Fox Sports’ "Big Noon Kickoff", a move that further expands Barstool’s broadcast presence.

At the same time, Barstool has been investing in fresh projects, including backing a new media company launched by former ESPN radio personality Ryen Russillo.

Dave Portnoy welcomed Russillo publicly on X this week.