Podcast
Campus Files: Scandals, Secrets & Crimes at American Universities
Hosted by Audacy · EN
College holds a mythic place in American culture, hailed as the best four years of your life and revered as a beacon of integrity and excellence. But behind the polished campus tours and glossy brochures lies a far more complicated reality.
Each episode of Campus Files uncovers a new story, exploring everything from rigged admissions to sports scandals, free speech, and hazing.
Consider this your unofficial campus tour.
Do you have tips or story ideas?
Send us an email: campusfilespod@gmail.com.
For additional stories on scandals that have rocked American institutions, check out seasons 1-3 of Gangster Capitalism in this feed:
Season 1: The College Admissions Scandal
Season 2: The NRA
Season 3: Jerry Falwell Jr. and Liberty University
Campus Files is an Audacy original podcast.
54episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Sworn In: The Hidden History of American Sororities
4d ago00:27:00Summary readyPick up any history of women in higher education and you'll find sororities in a footnote, maybe a paragraph. But that's not the whole story. The first sororities weren't social clubs - they were academic lifelines for women. So how did that get forgotten?For a transcript of this episode: https://bit.ly/campusfiles-transcripts
SummaryFrankly Fraud | “The $175 Million Scam”
2w ago00:22:48Summary readyIn 2022, famous young entrepreneur and founder of the student financial aid startup Frank was charged with fraud and conspiracy, facing up to a 100 years in prison. How did this wunderkind turn into an alleged con-artist, and how did America's largest bank get duped? For a transcript of this episode: https://bit.ly/campusfiles-transcripts
SummaryContamination on Campus: What Did NC State Know About Poe Hall?
3w ago00:29:40Summary readyPoe Hall, an academic building on NC State’s campus, shut its doors abruptly. It later emerged that the building was contaminated with PCBs, a known carcinogen, and had been for decades. Faculty, staff, and former students say they raised alarms after developing cancer, only to be ignored. For a transcript of this episode: https://bit.ly/campusfiles-transcripts
SummaryUpside Down Stanford | The University of Austin
4w ago00:25:23Summary readyFor the last decade at least, the question of free speech has been the defining issue of American higher education. One school set out to tackle those problems head on, but appears to have lost its way in the process, struggling to define itself even before opening its doors. Read Evan's piece: https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2026/01/16/civil-war-university-of-austin-bari-weiss-00729688 For a transcript of this episode: https://bit.ly/campusfiles-transcripts
SummaryThe Cambridge Five: From Students to Soviet Spies
May 600:27:23Summary readyThey were ambitious students at Cambridge University who went on to climb the ranks of British government and intelligence. But they had a secret. All the while, they were working for the Soviet Union. For a transcript of this episode: https://bit.ly/campusfiles-transcripts
SummaryHostile Takeover | The Dramatic Reshaping of New College of Florida
Apr 2900:29:59Summary readyThe story of the New College of Florida becoming a pawn in Ron Desantis' campaing for president, and what happens when a school is reshaped by force and against the will of students and faculty. For a transcript of this episode: https://bit.ly/campusfiles-transcripts
SummaryOriginal Sin: The Rise and Fall of the CCNY Basketball Team
Apr 2200:32:32Summary readyIn 1950, the City College of New York pulled off one of the greatest Cinderella stories in sports history, winning both the NIT and NCAA tournaments in the same season. The team, made up largely of Black and Jewish players, became a symbol of possibility. Within months, a point shaving scandal shattered that legacy. For a transcript of this episode: https://bit.ly/campusfiles-transcripts
SummaryBloat@Brown: DOGE Comes to Brown University
Apr 1500:26:48Summary readyIn the first weeks of Donald Trumps second term, the Department of Government Efficiency ransacked the federal government. One student at Brown University decided to take the same approach and bring DOGE to campus. For a transcript of this episode: https://bit.ly/campusfiles-transcripts
Summary"100% Preventable": The Death of Bucknell Football Player Calvin Dickey Jr.
Apr 800:27:21Summary readyWhat was supposed to be a light workout during football orientation ended in tragedy. Calvin Dickey, a freshman with sickle cell trait, collapsed and died days later. His parents say Bucknell failed to follow basic safety protocols and then withheld what really happened. For a transcript of this episode: https://bit.ly/campusfiles-transcripts
SummaryAssassination on Campus | Should UVU Memorialize Charlie Kirk?
Apr 100:21:54Summary readyThe fight at Utah Valley University over whether or not to install a memorial to Charlie Kirk after his assassination on campusRead Matthew's work: https://www.uvureview.com/author/matthewfranke/For a transcript of this episode: https://bit.ly/campusfiles-transcripts
Summary