The ‘It Me’ Podcast: What’s The Best Way To Address Sexual Assault In College Football?

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As much as we want to use college football and sports in general as our escape, they’re often the microcosm through which many of society’s issues and problems are brought to light. Whether that’s by protest, high-profile court cases, statements, events, or otherwise, sports don’t always have the nuance or the tact we’re looking for, but they force people to at least address an issue or have a conversation.

In the case of sexual assault in college football, that conversation is as loud as ever. One of the individuals who has been working tirelessly to make that conversation impossible to ignore is Jessica Luther. She’s written extensively on the subject, and recently published a book called Unsportsmanlike Conduct: College Football and the Politics of Rape.

We had Jessica on the podcast to discuss her book, the nature of rape in college sports, and more. We also brought on Jeff Greer from the Louisville Courier-Journal to break down this week’s games, including that big one between the Cardinals and Florida State.

Here were some of our topics:

  • Jessica’s background as a football fan, and when she realized there was a serious institutional problem with college football
  • Journalism, or the lack thereof, on sexual assault in college football, and how it has to change
  • The role of officials and college town police in reporting – or unreporting – rape on campus
  • Are things really changing? Or is this another cycle where it seems like we’re having the conversation but it’ll go silent?
  • What can football fans do? How do you juggle *being a fan* with trying to make things better?
  • The nature of consent, how to teach it on college campuses, and when to bring up that subject to kids
  • Week 3’s big games, from Oklahoma-Ohio State to Michigan State-Notre Dame
  • Lamar Jackson, being unpolished in the media, and the rise of a star

As always, comments and tweets are welcome. Subscribe to us on iTunes, too! You can find Robby at (@rkalland) and Martin at (@martinrickman). Jessica is at (@scatx). Jeff is at (@jeffgreer_cj). Sports are great and so are friends, but sports are always better with friends.

Special thanks to the band Annabel for our intro and outro music. They’re really good. You should buy their music at their website or perhaps see them play a show some time.

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