Netflix recently announced an SEC football docuseries, Any Given Saturday, that will arrive on August 5th. Camera crews followed top SEC programs such as LSU, South Carolina, Florida, Auburn, and Arkansas during the 2024 football season, capturing behind-the-scenes moments to give viewers a perspective beyond the games themselves. Their timing is impeccable; Netflix’s series is scheduled to release just three weeks ahead of the start of the season, and will provide football-hungry fans with hours worth of content before the games arrive.
Unlike other college football documentaries, the show is rumored to feature one-on-one access with both head coaches and star players. While social media has a myriad of different content to capture team moments, fans are interested in seeing how things operate on a deeper level: Players juggling schoolwork and football, coaches working with 18-22 year olds as supposed to “Adults” in the NFL, and how all parties go about their life in college football’s new NIL landscape.
Netflix began to dedicate themselves to the sports market, especially after their Last Dance 1996 Chicago Bulls docuseries that dominated tv viewership during the coronavirus pandemic. They launched their successful Untold series in 2021, recapping sports scandals such as Johnny Manziel’s rise and fall and Michigan’s sign stealing allegations. Netflix then expanded their sports content by launching NBA and NFL series such as Starting 5 and Quarterback, giving viewers inside access to the everyday lives of select top players. These individual player docuseries were another major hit for Netflix’s sports department, even generating interest among non sports fans. Just look at the hundreds of other reality shows: Viewers crave an in depth look at celebrities’ life.
College sports, particularly the most visible sports, have been revamped by NIL. The players benefit by being fairly compensated for their role in a product that rivals professional leagues ratings wise, and the fans benefit by receiving more access to college athletes such as this docuseries and the college video games. Critics will argue that it turns college athletes into professionals, but hasn’t it always been that way? Packed out 100,000 seat stadiums, tens of millions of viewers watching at home, parking lots full of families and friends tailgating; College football has been similar to the NFL for a long time.
The SEC football documentary will provide an exciting cross between the personal player series that Netflix has created recently and the fan-favorite team styled series that HBO’s Hard Knocks has championed over the years. While Netflix is trying to keep details close to the vest in order to create more buzz around the show, early previews have confirmed the unique blend of teams and player life throughout the episodes. Gamecock fans will have the opportunity to relive moments from their season while also getting a look into star quarterback LaNorris Seller’s personal life. Everyone loves team content, everyone loves the player-based shows; Netflix has a slam dunk docuseries on their hands just by listening to their fans’ feedback.
And when it does become a success, Netflix will immediately move towards making a college basketball counterpart: the ACC.
The ACC is the king of college basketball, making them the perfect choice for a potential docuseries. Netflix could choose some of the traditional ACC powerhouses such as Syracuse, Duke, UNC, and Louisville and also add on the newer members and gain a new viewership pool. College basketball is built for a “Reality” show; Every team has their different team building philosophies whether it be one-and-done freshman, a veteran-filled group in the portal, or a mix between the two styles. Basketball’s smaller roster allows the individual player coverage to tie in better to the overall team content.
An ACC basketball docuseries could display a number of different events in addition to the regular conference schedule: Preseason nonconference tournaments in the Bahamas and Las Vegas, the famed ACC/SEC challenge, and March Madness would all receive behind the scenes access that would give fans a glimpse of how these players and coaches handle the brightest stage. Just as the SEC’s version will provide insight into rivalries, the ACC has bad blood and then some with Duke/UNC, Miami/Florida State, and UNC/NCST just to name a few.
College sports have recently rivaled the professional leagues in both tv ratings and ticket prices. Every NIL activity, whether it be as simple as a player selling merchandise or companies launching video games and tv series, makes both the players and the universities they represent more visible to the public. This SEC football show will be a hit, especially with the CFB season right around the corner. But when the Netflix board comes together to create their college hoops counterpart, it must feature the ACC and Syracuse basketball.
