Fox Sports vs ESPN: Dave Portnoy and Big Cat to take on Stephen A. Smith and Pat McAfee in battle of the major networks

FOX Sports is looking to fight ESPN head for sports TV star power

After Pat McAfee helped to transform College GameDay and Stephen A. Smith inked a massive contract with ESPN, Fox Sports needed an answer.

The network has since found their counter to ESPN's stars.

Fox Sports is banking on the popularity of social media company Bartstool Sports to help them fight back against ESPN.

Dave Portnoy, the founder of Fox Sports, will now be a regular face on Fox's premier college football program, Big Noon Kickoff.

On top of that, he will air a weekly Barstool-produced show with personalities like Dan "Big Cat" Katz.

That show is intended to directly compete with ESPN's Get Up and First Take .

Portnoy's introduction to the Big Noon Kickoff cast is almost certainly a direct response