648. The Merger You Never Knew You Wanted

Freakonomics Radio

The N.F.L. is a powerful cartel with imperial desires. College football is about to undergo a financial reckoning. So maybe they should team up? (Part one of a two-part series.)

• SOURCES:
  • DeMaurice Smith, former executive director of the National Football League Players Association.
  • Domonique Foxworth, sports analyst and former N.F.L. player.
  • Jeffrey Kessler, partner at the law firm of Winston & Strawn.
  • Oliver Luck, sports executive and consultant.
  • Victor Matheson, professor of economics at the College of the Holy Cross.

• RESOURCES:
  • Turf Wars: The Fight for the Soul of America's Game, by DeMaurice Smith (2025).
  • "Is there a Case for Subsidizing Sports Stadiums?" by Victor Matheson (Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 2018).

• EXTRAS:
  • "America’s Hidden Duopoly," by Freakonomics Radio (2018).
  • "Should the U.S. Merge With Mexico?" by Freakonomics Radio (2014).

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