Jason Whitlock Returns to FOX Sports

Jason Whitlock, one of the nation’s most prominent sports journalists who called FOX Sports home from 2007 to 2013, returns to the family as a columnist and on-air personality effective immediately. Whitlock made the announcement last night in a column titled The Explanation 2.0: Still Undefeated that posted on http://j.school/, a newly minted FOX Sports Digital property being developed as an outlet exclusively for his work. He also appeared live in-studio today on THE HERD WITH COLIN COWHERD to discuss his return to FOX Sports and controversial departure from ESPN.

“Jason Whitlock has been a prominent voice covering all areas of our culture with thought-provoking commentary for 25 years,” said FOX Sports President, National Networks Jamie Horowitz. "At FS1, we are consistently looking for people with perspectives who are independent, original and fearless. Jason’s columns, podcasts and work on PTI have offered fans new ways to look at the sports world. We are eager to add his voice to FS1.”

Offered Whitlock a short time ago live on THE HERD WITH COLIN COWHERD on FS1 and FOX Sports Radio: “I feel free today. I feel like Jason Whitlock today. I feel like the journalist I’ve always been, the opinion-maker I’ve always been. I feel free to be me and not persecuted for being me. It’s an overwhelming sense of relief and joy. I’m back to being a person I’ve always been, a person that sometimes is critical of the media, sometimes is critical of himself, sometimes is critical of athletes, but mostly, (I’m a guy) just having fun, who loves the sports world and thinks it’s a great place to analyze the rest of society.”

Beginning today, Whitlock’s columns appear daily on J.school, and a podcast, expected to launch soon, is also planned. Also in development is an FS1 show in which he is a prominent contributor, expected to launch in the first quarter of 2016.

Whitlock has been a sportswriter for 25 years. He was a general-interest sports columnist for the Kansas City Star from 1994 to 2007 after writing for the Bloomington Herald-Times, Charlotte Observer and Ann Arbor News. He’s also written for Playboy Magazine, Vibe Magazine and The Sporting News.

Whitlock twice worked for ESPN. He had a six-year association from 2000 to 2006, writing a weekly column for ESPN.com and frequently contributing to its studio shows. Whitlock left FOX Sports to return to ESPN in August 2013 to help develop a still unrealized website intended to cover the convergence of race and sports.

In addition, Whitlock has worked as a radio talk-show host at Kansas City’s WHB and KCSP, broadcasting his own shows, Jason Whitlock’s Neighborhood and The Doghouse. Whitlock has also guest-hosted Jim Rome’s nationally syndicated radio show The Jungle.

In 2008 while with FOX Sports, Whitlock won a National Journalism Award for commentary from The Scripps Howard Foundation, and he is the only sportswriter to ever be so honored. He’s also won numerous other awards and has appeared on programs as varied as Oprah Winfrey, The O’Reilly Factor, Anderson Cooper 360 and others.

A 1990 graduate of and former football starter at Ball State University, Whitlock lives in Los Angeles.