New York – September 19, 2026 -- OutKick has signed Matt Calkins, the former Seattle Times sports columnist who resigned in August after the paper declined to publish his column on two female student-athletes opposing competition against biological males.
Calkins brings eleven years of Seattle Times coverage and three National Sports Columnist of the Year titles to OutKick
Calkins covered local college and professional sports plus national events including the Super Bowl and World Cup during his tenure at The Seattle Times. He previously worked as a preps writer at the Riverside Press-Enterprise and as a columnist at the San Diego Union Tribune. He joins OutKick immediately as a columnist covering sports and culture.
FOX News Digital frames the hire as part of a strategy built on editorial independence
Tommy Firth, Editorial Executive Vice President at FOX News Digital, said authenticity and common sense drive hiring decisions at OutKick and that Calkins embodies both qualities. Calkins said his departure from The Seattle Times was difficult but described the move to OutKick as an opportunity to join a platform willing to cover any topic.
The Calkins signing extends OutKick's positioning on the biological-sex-in-sports debate
OutKick recently questioned WNBA head coaches on transgender competition in women's sports following comments from player Sophie Cunningham. The platform also signed Craig Carton to host The Craig Carton Show, integrated as the official sports brand of FOX News Digital, and refreshed its branding.
OutKick posted record traffic in August 2026, according to Comscore data
The platform recorded 13 million total desktop and mobile unique visitors, up 19% month-over-month and 179% year-over-year. Total multiplatform views reached 71 million, up 30% versus the prior month and 236% versus the prior year. Multiplatform minutes totaled 72 million, up 9% month-over-month and 178% year-over-year.