Key Points
- NFL lifts Dave Portnoy’s nine-year ban; he can attend if he buys a ticket.
- Portnoy, surprised the ban was active, is eager to attend as a regular fan.
- It’s unclear if the policy change extends to other Barstool Sports staff or credentials.
Dave Portnoy’s nine-year NFL ban is over…on one condition.
The Barstool Sports founder and the NFL have left any bad blood in the past, with the league confirming to TMZ on Monday, Jan. 26, that it lifted the nearly decade-long ban on Portnoy. Portnoy will be allowed to attend Super Bowl LX on Feb. 8, where his beloved New England Patriots will face off against the Seattle Seahawks at Levi’s Stadium.
It Will Cost Him Some Money
But there’s one condition: the NFL says Portnoy is more than welcome to attend only if he purchases a ticket for the coveted 60th Super Bowl. While the ban may be over, the league clearly has no intention of hooking Portnoy up with any free tickets. Luckily, Portnoy was more than willing to accept the conditions.
MIAMI, FLORIDA – DECEMBER 19: (L-R) Dave Portnoy and Camryn D’Aloia attend Jake Paul v Anthony Joshua – Fight Night at Kaseya Center on December 19, 2025 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images for Netflix)
“I have 100 percent intentions [sic] to go watch the Super Bowl as a fan and enjoy it,” Portnoy told TMZ. He then added that the lifting of his ban came as a surprise, only because Portnoy was unaware the ban was still in effect. “I’m not looking for trouble. I’m just looking to cue the duck boats and have another parade,” he added.
Portnoy’s Feud with the NFL Goes Back Almost a Decade
Portnoy irked the league when he participated with three other Barstool employees in a sit-in protest at the NFL’s Manhattan headquarters in response to the league banning Tom Brady for four games over the “Deflategate” scandal. Portnoy and the three other employees were arrested. In 2017, the Super Bowl refused to credential Barstool due to the protest. That same year, Portnoy was evicted from the game and subsequently banned from all future events when the Patriots defeated the Falcons in a stunning upset.
‘Feels Like the End of Rocky IV‘
“Breaking: I’m hearing that the NFL ban on Barstool Sports has been lifted,” Portnoy posted to X. “It feels like the end of Rocky IV. This hasn’t been 100 percent confirmed but the Cold War may be over.”
It’s unclear if the revised policies extend only to Portnoy, or if it means other Barstool staff will now be allowed to cover Super Bowl events. “It doesn’t sound like they lifted the ban,” one quizzical fan noted. “They will allow him to attend as a ticket paying fan, but that doesn’t mean Barstool will get NFL credentials again.”
About the author
News Writer, Men’s Journal
Declan Gallagher has been a News Writer at Men’s Journal since 2023. He’s also been published in Entertainment Weekly and worked behind the scenes on film and TV projects.
