Skip Bayless announced Friday on X that he is leaving Fox Sports immediately, confirming weeks of reports that the polarizing FS1 sports analyst was on his way out after eight often turbulent years co-hosting “Undisputed.”
“Today was my last show on ‘Undisputed,’” Bayless wrote. “I’m leaving FS1. I’ve been planning to pursue other opportunities for several months. I had a great eight-year run with a lot of great people at FOX, but now I’m excited for what’s coming up. Stay tuned.”
Bayless’ confrontational style led to many dust-ups at the network, including a tweet about NFL player Damar Hamlin’s health emergency during a game that upset co-host Shannon Sharpe, who skipped the next broadcast. Bayless and Sharpe clashed often on “Undisputed,” though they apparently made amends as Sharpe praised his longtime colleague in a tearful exit from the show just over a year ago.
Fox Sports thanked and highly praised its longtime “Undisputed” host in a followup X post, calling Bayless “the godfather of sports debate.”
Before joining FS1, Bayless was an analyst at ESPN, where he worked for 12 years.
Loree Seitz contributed to this story.