30 for 30: Season 3
Season 3 Lore Primer
Key plot threads, lore context, and character stakes you need to remember before diving into this season.
- Directly follows the overarching narrative developments of 30 for 30 Season 2.
- Faction dynamics and core character alliances shift under escalating external stakes.
- Crucial mysteries introduced previously reach key turning points and narrative reckonings.
- Sets up serialized story arcs that build directly toward the climactic season finale.
Episode Guide
Season 3 Progress Shield
Trojan War
Oct 13, 2015
A profile of the rise and fall of USC Trojans football during Pete Carroll's coaching tenure in the 2000s.
The Prince of Pennsylvania
Oct 20, 2015
An exploration of the turbulent relationship between Olympic wrestling brothers Mark and Dave Schultz and their eccentric benefactor, John du Pont, culminating in the murder of Dav
The Gospel According to Mac
Nov 3, 2015
A look at how Bill McCartney mixed two religions—college football and evangelical Christianity—while serving as head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes in the 1990s, a tenure that inc
Chasing Tyson
Nov 10, 2015
A look at how Evander Holyfield spent years (1989–91 & 1995–96) trying to arrange his first fight with Mike Tyson in an effort to gain the respect he knew he could only gain by def
Four Falls Of Buffalo
Dec 12, 2015
A profile of the Buffalo Bills teams of the early 1990s, when the franchise became the first team to play in—and lose—four consecutive Super Bowls.
The '85 Bears
Feb 4, 2016
A 30-year retrospective on the 1985 Chicago Bears, from how they were assembled to their swaggering, dominant run to Super Bowl victory.
Fantastic Lies
Mar 13, 2016
A 10-year retrospective of the Duke lacrosse case, in which a party thrown by members of the school's men's lacrosse team led to an accusation of rape—a claim that, though later pr
This Magic Moment
Apr 14, 2016
A profile of the Orlando Magic teams of the mid-1990s, led by Shaquille O'Neal and Penny Hardaway, who gained prominence both on the NBA hardwoods and in popular culture, before Sh
Believeland
May 14, 2016
A look at the sports curse that befell Cleveland since the NFL's Browns last brought a major pro sports championship to the Ohio city in 1964. The film debuted one month before LeB
Doc & Darryl
Jul 14, 2016
The connection between the lives and careers of former New York Mets Dwight "Doc" Gooden and Darryl Strawberry.
Phi Slama Jama
Oct 18, 2016
A profile of the iconic Houston Cougars men's basketball teams of the 1980s, fronted by Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler, whose explosive play and highlight-making slam dunks earn
Hit It Hard
Nov 1, 2016
A look at John Daly's rise from obscurity to two major golf championship wins and fall back to mediocrity.
Catholics Vs Convicts
Dec 10, 2016
A look at the notorious 1988 Notre Dame–Miami football game and its personal and cultural impact. Creadon was a senior at Notre Dame when the game took place; his roommate that yea
This Was the XFL
Feb 2, 2017
Two longtime friends, pro wrestling impresario Vince McMahon and NBC Sports president Dick Ebersol (Charlie Ebersol's father), team to form the XFL; the film follows the league's r
One and Not Done
Apr 13, 2017
The life and career of John Calipari, one of the most polarizing figures in modern college basketball, weaving his story around that of his 2015–16 Kentucky team.
Celtics/Lakers: Best of Enemies - Part 1
Jun 11, 2017
A three-part series, initially airing on consecutive nights, exploring the Celtics–Lakers rivalry, focusing mainly on the 1980s era of Larry Bird and Magic Johnson but also examini
Celtics/Lakers: Best of Enemies - Part 2
Jun 13, 2017
The Celtics-Lakers rivalry ramps up in the 1984 Finals as a cast of characters–led by Larry Bird and Magic Johnson–who changed the NBA finally went head-to-head for a title. Direct
Celtics/Lakers: Best of Enemies - Part 3
Jun 14, 2017
Conclusion of a look at the 1980s Celtics-Lakers rivalry, focusing on the three years after the 1984 NBA Finals, as the teams’ disdain for each other gradually turns to respect whi
Mike and the Mad Dog
Jul 13, 2017
The careers of Mike Francesa and Chris Russo, their stormy 19-year partnership on New York City radio; and the duo's influence on their Big Apple audience and sports talk radio in
George Best: All by Himself
Jul 20, 2017
George Best, Northern Ireland's legendary star, remains one of the most naturally gifted soccer players ever. Best's skill and exuberance lifted Manchester United, but his career w
What Carter Lost
Aug 26, 2017
In any other year, the 1988 team from Dallas's Carter High School would have gone down as one of the greatest in Texas football history, featuring 28 players who received college s
Year of the Scab
Sep 12, 2017
During the 1987 players' strike, the Washington Redskins field a roster of replacement players that goes 3–0 and helps pave the way for the Redskins' Super Bowl victory. Thirty yea
The Two Bills
Feb 1, 2018
A look at the relationship between NFL coaches Bill Parcells and Bill Belichick. Co-produced with NFL Films.
The Last Days of Knight
Apr 12, 2018
The saga surrounding Indiana University firing coach Bob Knight in 2000.
Seau
Sep 20, 2018
The life of NFL legend Junior Seau, from his upbringing in a Samoan immigrant family, through his path to NFL superstardom and status as a league icon, ending in his seemingly inex
42 to 1
Dec 11, 2018
A chronicle of Buster Douglas's shocking knockout of the then-undefeated Mike Tyson at the Tokyo Dome on February 11, 1990.
Deion's Double Play
Jan 31, 2019
A look at Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, focusing specifically on a 24-hour span in 1992 when he sandwiched an NFL game between a pair of Major League Baseball postseaso
The Dominican Dream
Apr 30, 2019
The highs and lows of Felipe López, born into a family of Dominican immigrants to become a star high school and (at St. John's) collegiate basketball player, and the contentment he
Qualified
May 28, 2019
How Janet Guthrie faced scorn, skepticism, and subpar equipment to shock the racing world by becoming the first female driver to qualify for the Indianapolis 500.
The Good, The Bad, The Hungry
Jul 2, 2019
A look at one of the biggest rivalries in sports, that of competitive eaters Takeru Kobayashi and Joey Chestnut.