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.
61episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Missing Ole Miss: Lane Kiffin's Dramatic College Football Career
4d ago00:31:26Summary readyOver the last decade, college football has undergone a dramatic transformation. Universities now have a growing financial stake in the game, blurring the line between college athletics and professional sports. Few people embody that shift better than Lane Kiffin. Read Nicole Auerbach’s work: http://www.nauerbach.com/aboutFor a transcript of this episode: https://bit.ly/campusfiles-transcripts
SummaryAbove the Rules: Baylor's Sexual Assault Crisis
2w ago00:32:48Summary readyBaylor is the largest Baptist university in the country. The rules there revolve around scripture. For most of its history, the school banned premarital sex. That meant no policy on sexual assault. No recourse for survivors.For a transcript of this episode: https://bit.ly/campusfiles-transcripts
SummaryThe Gophers Beat: The University of Minnesota Cheating Scandal
3w ago00:30:18Summary readyIn 1997, a young out of town reporter moves from Los Angeles to Minnesota to cover the University of Minnesota Gophers. That year, the Gophers basketball team had made it to the NCAA Final Four in a stunning show of force. Two years later, the reporter broke a story that would throw the state into an uproad, and wipe that Final Four appearance from the history books.For a transcript of this episode: https://bit.ly/campusfiles-transcripts
SummaryAI Apocalypse: What’s the Point of College?
4w ago00:25:36Summary readyAI has arrived on college campuses, and professors and administrators are racing to respond. But there’s no clear rulebook, and the stakes are high. At Ohio State, one professor believes many universities are getting the response all wrong.Read here: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/11/colleges-ai-education-students/685039/https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/25/magazine/ai-higher-education-students-teachers.htmlAnd here: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/students-ai-cheating-solutions_n_6a173aa3e4b062ca52d7e393?hp_auth_done=1#commentsFor a transcript of this episode: https://bit.ly/campusfiles-transcripts
SummaryWhen Fascists Were Welcome | The National Party of America at Reed College
Jun 2400:28:28Summary readySpeech on campus is the defining issue of higher education today. Many call for a return to the past when nearly anyone was received with respect. So, this week we look back to a moment in 1965 when the National Party of America, an openly fascist and anti-semitic political party was invited to speak at Reed College in Portland Oregon.Read Seth's writing: https://rightlandia.ghost.io/For a transcript of this episode: https://bit.ly/campusfiles-transcripts
SummaryBroad Daylight: The Transylvania Book Heist
Jun 1700:31:52Summary readyTransylvania University houses one of the most valuable rare book collections in the country. In 2004, four college students decided to steal them. In broad daylight.For a transcript of this episode: https://bit.ly/campusfiles-transcripts
SummaryWeather Pledges | Corruption and Hazing at the University of Tennessee
Jun 1000:30:04Summary ready"It’s the middle of a September night at the University of Tennessee Chattanooga and two young men light themselves on fire. Both are later rushed to the hospital. The resulting investigation uncovers alleged hazing, and possible public corruption within the justice system.For a transcript of this episode: https://bit.ly/campusfiles-transcripts"
SummarySworn In: The Hidden History of American Sororities
Jun 300:27:00Summary 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”
May 2700:22:48Summary 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?
May 2000:29:40Summary 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
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