Let’s be completely honest here – there’s something about college sports that professional leagues can’t provider. We’re not so sure what it is. It could probably be the passion you see in most players that want to succeed in life or their pure love for the sport they play. If you’re a college varsity player or simply a fan of college sports, we completely understand how you ended up in this post. But don’t worry, we don’t want to disappoint.
We’ve done our research and spent hours looking for the best movies about college sports that you can enjoy watching by yourself or with your friends slash teammates. Most of these films are widely available on different streaming platforms, such as Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Dish TV, Sling TV, and many more. So, without ado, let’s begin!
- Glory Road (2006)
Glory Road is a true story about a coach named Don Haskins. He takes a weak college team in Texas and builds them into winners, but not in the usual way. He picks the best players he can find, no matter their skin color. This upsets some people because back then, most college teams were all white. Haskins trains his players hard, turning them into a team that plays fast and exciting. But the better they get, the more hate they face. People threaten them, hurt them, and even trash their rooms.
They win a lot, but the pressure gets intense, which led them to a rough loss. Despite a massive loss, rallies the team, and they make history by starting all Black players in the championship game against a powerful all-white team. It's a close game, but the underdog Texas Western team wins! They become champions and break barriers in sports history.
- Schooled: The Price of College Sports (2013)
Schooled takes a different look at the world of college sports. This documentary dives deep behind the scenes of the billion-dollar industry that college athletics has become. It asks the question: who really benefits from this system? Is it the star athletes who bring in millions for their schools, but get paid nothing themselves? Or is it the big corporations that sponsor these events?
Schooled tackles the tough issue of amateurism in college sports and exposes the struggles of student athletes. It's an eye-opening film that will make you think twice about the reality of college athletics. This documovie is 1hr and 20 minutes long, so make sure you have a fast internet connection like HughesNet when you stream it.
- The Mighty Macs (2009)
The Mighty Macs is an inspiring true-to-life movie about a woman named Cathy. She's a tough yet caring coach who takes a big responsibility of handling a small college basketball team that's about to fold. They have no fancy gym and they even hardly have any players. At a glance, you'll think that there's no hope with this team. But Cathy puts in the hard work and teaches the players to play with all their heart. They learned to dream big while loving the sport.
As an underdog team, they have to fight their way to the very first women's basketball championship. This movie can be watched on several streaming services, so you won’t have a hard time looking for it online.
- Student Athlete (2018)
This isn't a movie about winning plays or big rivalries. It's a real-life look at what college athletes go through. The film follows a couple of college guys and girls from different sports. We see them practice hard, play in games, and try to keep up with their schoolwork. It's a lot to juggle! But here's the thing: even though these athletes bring in millions of dollars for their colleges, they don't get any of that money themselves. Student Athlete shows how this can be unfair and the pressure it puts on young people. It'll make you wonder if college sports are all they seem to be.
- Head Games (2012)
This documovie is all about brain injuries in sports, especially in football. You'll see a former football player named Chris Nowinski who reveals the dangers of repeated hits to the head and how they can lead to long-term problems like mood swings, memory loss, and even dementia. Head Games talks to doctors, athletes, and their families affected by these injuries. It's definitely an eye-opener about the risks athletes take when they play certain extremely physical sports like football.
Final Thoughts
That’s all we’ve got for you. If you haven’t watched any of these movies, you’re definitely missing out so make sure to have them on your lineup this coming weekend and don’t forget to call your friends. These films will definitely keep you thinking about the realities surrounding the sports industry, specifically college sports. Have fun!
