Sports as a Weapon & The End of College Football

We are returning to regular programming as of January 2026! This week on The End of Sport, we are excited to cross-post a conversation we recently had with Miguel Garcia on his excellent podcast, Sports as a Weapon.With the 2025-26 College Football Playoff (CFP) cycle upon us, there is no better time to peel back the spectacle and examine the machinery beneath. In this episode, Derek and Nathan sit down with Miguel to discuss our award-winning book, The End of College Football (UNC Press).The dialogue navigates the grim reality of the sport, exploring how it is predicated on a foundation of coercion and suffused with racialized harm. Drawing on 25 in-depth interviews with athletic workers from Power 5 (now Power 4) programs, we outline the plantation dynamics and racial capitalism that serve as the bedrock of the industry.Together with Miguel, we dissect how college and high school football coaches frequently replicate the role of the overseer, the lasting impacts of the COVID era on player exploitation, and much more.We strongly encourage you to support our comrade Miguel Garcia. Sports as a Weapon is a vital listen.