On July 1, 2021, sports in America changed forever. After decades of protests, sanctions, and challenges, the NCAA fortress finally crumbled. The Supreme Court struck the decisive blow, ruling unanimously that restrictions on “education-related benefits” for college athletes violated antitrust law. At the same time, a host of new state laws took effect that - for the first time - gave college athletes the opportunity to earn money from sponsors. Immediately, college stars in football, basketball, soccer, volleyball, gymnastics, and many other sports began signing deals. The move minted instant millionaires, decriminalized a host of actions, and opened the floodgates for a whole new economy, creating ripple effects that will play out for decades while igniting long-smoldering controversies about equity, race, gender, and the values and power structure of “amateur” sports in America. In this first season of Out of Bounds, we take a deep dive into the hot-button issue of money in college sports by telling the compelling inside stories of those who were impacted the most. We follow six diverse athletes - three from the past and three in the present–across a range of sports. We look at all that was lost and risked in the era before the rules were changed - the sanctions and witch hunts, the vacated titles, reclaimed trophies, and the billions in income - while looking ahead to the enormous paydays and thorny questions this revolution entails. Along the way, we weave in the history of amateur sports in the US, the evolution and unchecked power of the NCAA monolith, and the long-brewing battle to provide fair pay to college athletes. It all relates to one huge overarching question: Is this finally the end of amateur sports in America?
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Mar 15 202243 mins
Mar 22 202240 mins
48 mins
Apr 5 202239 mins
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Apr 19 202239 mins