college football

An ESPN producer called JSU’s rise one of college football's biggest stories. Here are three key elements that make Saturday’s rivalry game worth highlighting.

As a new college football season kicks off, a brighter spotlight will be put on HBCUs in the Gulf South, thanks to the influence of “Coach Prime.”

The National Labor Relations Board says Northwestern University football players can unionize. It's a win for student athletes, but the university says it will appeal.

As much as the BCS system was criticized for using statistics instead of actual playoffs, this year's matchups were pretty interesting. NPR's Linda Wertheimer talks with sports reporter Tom Goldman about the end of a college football tradition, NFL playoffs and the collision of football and politics.

New research raises concerns about low graduations rates for black college football players. Host Michel Martin finds out more from education reporter Emily Richmond, and professor Shaun Harper of the University of Pennsylvania's Center for the Study of Race and Equity in Education.

A returned short field-goal kick resulted in a last-second win by Auburn. The 109-yard return is being called "the craziest finish in the history of college football."

It's rivalry week in college football. And this weekend, there's some extra spice as games from Alabama to Florida to Michigan could have an impact on which two teams end up playing for the national championship.

Football players at Grambling State University in Louisiana refused to play this past weekend, complaining about unsanitary facilities and unsafe equipment. Host Michel Martin talks more about the issue with The Root's Corey Dade, who used to play football at Grambling, and The Nation's Dave Zirin.

Like many public universities before it, the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, has made the move to the top level of college football, known as Football Bowl Subdivision. The program is now in its second year of play. The team is struggling and attendance is weak. The school is pumping more money into football, and some faculty are questioning the investment. But others are calling for patience.

Next season, there will be a new playoff system for big time college football. A committee will select the four teams that will play in the semifinals ahead of the championship game.