End of Dave Portnoy’s Super Bowl ban comes with one NFL caveat
Dave Portnoy, the founder of Barstool Sports, has finally been given the green light by the NFL to attend the Super Bowl 2026. After a long-standing feud with the league, the NFL confirmed to TMZ that Portnoy is allowed to purchase a ticket and watch his favorite team, the Patriots, take on the Seahawks at Levi’s Stadium on Feb. 8. Portnoy expressed his excitement about attending the game, stating that he is simply looking forward to enjoying the experience as a fan and potentially witnessing another championship parade.
The animosity between the NFL and Portnoy dates back to 2015 when he and three other Barstool employees were arrested during a protest at the league’s headquarters following the suspension of Tom Brady in the “Deflategate” scandal. As a result of this incident, the NFL refused to credential Barstool Sports for the Super Bowl in subsequent years. Additionally, in 2017, Portnoy was ejected from the Super Bowl when the Patriots made a historic comeback against the Falcons.
Despite these past conflicts, it appears that the ban on Portnoy attending NFL events has been lifted. Portnoy took to social media to share the news, comparing it to the end of Rocky IV and hinting at a possible resolution to the longstanding tension between Barstool Sports and the NFL. While it remains unclear if the ban has been lifted for all Barstool Sports employees or just Portnoy, he can now look forward to watching the Patriots compete for their seventh Super Bowl title without the fear of being removed from the game.
Overall, the decision to allow Portnoy to attend the Super Bowl signifies a potential thaw in the icy relationship between Barstool Sports and the NFL. Fans of both the league and Barstool Sports will be eager to see how this development unfolds and whether it paves the way for future collaborations between the two entities.
