649. Should Ohio State (and Michigan, and Clemson) Join the N.F.L.? episode artwork

EPISODE · Oct 10, 2025 · 55 MIN

649. Should Ohio State (and Michigan, and Clemson) Join the N.F.L.?

from Freakonomics Radio · host Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher

Soccer leagues around the world use a promotion-and-relegation system to reward the best teams and punish the worst. We ask whether American sports fans would enjoy a similar system. (Part two of a two-part series.) SOURCES:Domonique Foxworth, sports analyst and former N.F.L. player.Stefan Szymanski, professor of sport management at the University of Michigan.Victor Matheson, professor of economics at the College of the Holy Cross. RESOURCES:"'Root, root, root for the home team" did TV kill minor league baseball in the 1950s?" by Stefan Szymanski (University of Michigan, 2025)."European and North American Sports Differences (?): A Quarter Century on," by Stefan Szymanski (Principles and Paradoxes of Sports Economics, 2024).National Pastime: How Americans Play Baseball and the Rest of the World Plays Soccer, by Stefan Szymanski and Andrew Zimbalist (2006). EXTRAS:"When Is a Superstar Just Another Employee? (Update)," by Freakonomics Radio (2025)."The Longest Long Shot," by Freakonomics Radio (2016). Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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Soccer leagues around the world use a promotion-and-relegation system to reward the best teams and punish the worst. We ask whether American sports fans would enjoy a similar system. (Part two of a two-part series.)

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649. Should Ohio State (and Michigan, and Clemson) Join the N.F.L.?

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