{ "id": "epvkdrvdhq", "slug": "the-money-game-lsu", "title": "The Money Game: LSU", "updated": "2026-11-01", "topic_path": [ { "id": "culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture" }, { "id": "culture.performance", "label": "Screen and stage", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen", "label": "Film and television", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series", "label": "Series and fictional screen worlds", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_unscripted", "label": "Unscripted, reality, and web-native series", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_unscripted" }, { "id": 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"https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series.series_unscripted" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series.series_documentary_factual", "label": "Documentary, docudrama, and lifestyle series", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series.series_documentary_factual" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series.series_documentary_factual.music_arts_biography_docuseries", "label": "Music, arts, and biographical docuseries", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series.series_documentary_factual.music_arts_biography_docuseries" } ] } ], "excerpt": "The Money Game: LSU is a 2024 six-part Prime Video docuseries, directed by Drea Cooper and produced by Campfire Studios, Axios Entertainment, and Shaquille O'Neal's Jersey Legends, following LSU athletes Olivia Dunne, Angel Reese, Jayden Daniels, Flau'jae Johnson, Alia Armstrong, and Trace Young through the 2023-24 NIL era.", "snippet": "The Money Game: LSU is a 2024 six-part Prime Video docuseries, directed by Drea Cooper and produced by Campfire Studios, Axios Entertainment, and Shaquille O'Neal's Jersey Legends, following LSU athletes Olivia Dunne, Angel Reese, Jayden Daniels, Flau'jae Johnson, Alia Armstrong, and Trace Young through the 2023-24 NIL era.", "node": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_documentary_factual.music_arts_biography_docuseries", "markdown": "# The Money Game: LSU\n\n**The Money Game: LSU** is a six-part documentary series that premiered on Amazon Prime Video on September 10, 2024, following six [Louisiana State University](https://www.edgepedia.org/louisiana-state-university) student-athletes through the 2023-24 athletic season as they navigate name, image, and likeness (NIL) rights, the NCAA policy change that first allowed college athletes to earn money from endorsements.[1](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/entertainment/prime-video-money-game-lsu-athletics) • [2](https://www.campfire.us/the-money-game/)\n\n| Key fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Premiere | September 10, 2024, on Prime Video; all six episodes released that day[1](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/entertainment/prime-video-money-game-lsu-athletics) • [3](https://thetvdb.com/series/the-money-game/seasons/official/1) |\n| Subject | The 2023-24 season inside LSU Athletics during the NIL era[2](https://www.campfire.us/the-money-game/) |\n| Featured athletes | Gymnast Olivia Dunne, basketball players Angel Reese, Flau'jae Johnson, and Trace Young, quarterback Jayden Daniels, and hurdler Alia Armstrong[4](https://www.louisianasports.net/2025/04/10/nil-documentary-featuring-lsu-athletes-nominated-for-sports-emmy/) |\n| Director | Drea Cooper, whose credits include *Fire in Paradise* and *California Is a Place*[2](https://www.campfire.us/the-money-game/) • [1](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/entertainment/prime-video-money-game-lsu-athletics) |\n| Producers | Campfire Studios, Axios Entertainment, and Shaquille O'Neal's Jersey Legends, a division of Authentic Studios[5](https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans/2024/09/09/review-the-money-game-lsu-athletes-olivia-dunne-angel-reese) |\n| Recognition | Nominated for Outstanding Documentary Series at the 46th Sports Emmy Awards; reached No. 2 on Amazon Prime within a week of release[4](https://www.louisianasports.net/2025/04/10/nil-documentary-featuring-lsu-athletes-nominated-for-sports-emmy/) • [6](https://lsusports.net/thebrand) |\n| Context | Documents the aftermath of the NCAA's July 2021 NIL policy change, which first permitted college athletes to profit from their personal brands[1](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/entertainment/prime-video-money-game-lsu-athletics) |\n\n## Spoilers\n\n### Premise and production\n\nThe series is described by its producers as an \"exclusive, all-access pass\" to the 2023-24 athletic season inside LSU Athletics, following in real time what it calls a historic turning point in the NCAA after policy changes on name, image, and likeness rights.[2](https://www.campfire.us/the-money-game/) Director Drea Cooper embedded with six athletes across the season, an approach she described in an interview as the hardest project she had made, because it required navigating each athlete's individual world while respecting the secrecy of game plans.[7](https://clutchpoints.com/entertainment/the-money-game-director-drea-cooper-exclusive-interview)\n\n**Production companies.** The docuseries was produced by Campfire Studios, Axios Entertainment, and Jersey Legends, the production company of NBA hall-of-famer [Shaquille O'Neal](https://www.edgepedia.org/shaquille-oneal), who is listed among the executive producers alongside Ross M. Dinerstein, Rebecca Evans, Jim VandeHei, Roy Schwartz, and others.[5](https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans/2024/09/09/review-the-money-game-lsu-athletes-olivia-dunne-angel-reese) • [2](https://www.campfire.us/the-money-game/) Amazon announced the project in January 2024, and Prime Video released the official trailer and key art in mid-August 2024.[8](https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans/2024/01/25/money-game-olivia-dunne-angel-reese-lsu-athletics-amazon-prime-video)\n\n### Episodes\n\nAll six episodes were released on September 10, 2024, with runtimes between 42 and 47 minutes.[3](https://thetvdb.com/series/the-money-game/seasons/official/1)\n\n| No. | Title | Runtime |\n|---|---|---|\n| 1 | \"The Wild West\" | 46 min |\n| 2 | \"The Price Just Went Up\" | 46 min |\n| 3 | \"You Can't See Me\" | 44 min |\n| 4 | \"Not Just an Athlete\" | 47 min |\n| 5 | \"The Bag Man\" | 42 min |\n| 6 | \"Love of the Game\" (finale) | 47 min |\n\n## The featured athletes\n\nThe six athletes profiled occupy very different positions in the NIL economy, and the series uses that range to show how unevenly the new rules distribute opportunity.[1](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/entertainment/prime-video-money-game-lsu-athletics)\n\n- **Olivia \"Livvy\" Dunne**, a gymnast, was among the most followed student athletes in the world, with more than 8 million TikTok followers and 5 million on Instagram. She signed a multi-million dollar deal with the platform Passes in May 2024 and says in the trailer that July 1, 2021, the day the NIL rule changed, was \"the day my life changed.\"[9](https://www.forbes.com/sites/maryroeloffs/2024/08/16/the-money-game-what-we-know-about-new-livvy-dunne-angel-reese-docuseries/)\n- **Angel Reese**, the 2023 Women's Basketball Final Four Most Outstanding Player, had nearly $2 million in brand deals across 2022 and 2023 with partners including Reebok, Calvin Klein, Outback Steakhouse, and JanSport. She was drafted by the [Chicago Sky](https://www.edgepedia.org/chicago-sky) in the first round of the 2024 WNBA Draft.[9](https://www.forbes.com/sites/maryroeloffs/2024/08/16/the-money-game-what-we-know-about-new-livvy-dunne-angel-reese-docuseries/) • [10](https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans/2024/08/15/watch-trailer-money-game-lsu-series-prime-video)\n- **Jayden Daniels**, the LSU quarterback, won the [Heisman Trophy](https://www.edgepedia.org/heisman-trophy) during the season the series covers and was drafted No. 2 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft by the [Washington Commanders](https://www.edgepedia.org/washington-commanders). He said he was more interested in his professional career than his NIL prospects as a college athlete.[1](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/entertainment/prime-video-money-game-lsu-athletics)\n- **Flau'jae Johnson**, a women's basketball guard and rapper, held endorsement deals with Amazon, Puma, JBL Audio, and Intuit TurboTax.[1](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/entertainment/prime-video-money-game-lsu-athletics)\n- **Alia Armstrong**, a hurdler on the track and field team, had far less NIL success despite being one of the top student track athletes in the world, with about 49,500 Instagram followers; the series shows her frustration at being a prominent LSU name without comparable earnings.[1](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/entertainment/prime-video-money-game-lsu-athletics) • [11](https://awfulannouncing.com/amazon/prime-video-the-money-game-review.html)\n- **Trace Young**, a men's basketball guard, initially wanted NIL money for food as a struggling student and later signed deals with Snickers, Mercedes, and Nerf; he played only two games during his senior season at LSU.[1](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/entertainment/prime-video-money-game-lsu-athletics) • [11](https://awfulannouncing.com/amazon/prime-video-the-money-game-review.html)\n\n## The NIL operation at LSU\n\nA substantial part of the series examines the university's own NIL infrastructure rather than only the athletes. LSU's athletic department, operating on a $199 million budget and described as the only Power Four athletic department in Louisiana, staffed a dedicated NIL office run like a business development operation servicing the school's more than 600 athletes.[11](https://awfulannouncing.com/amazon/prime-video-the-money-game-review.html) • [12](https://www.axios.com/2024/09/10/money-game-nil-lsu-prime-video) Taylor Jacobs, LSU's Associate Athletic Director of NIL Strategy Initiatives, frames the choice facing athletes in the series: \"You don't have to play the money game, but if you want to capitalize during your time as a student-athlete, you can do that.\"[12](https://www.axios.com/2024/09/10/money-game-nil-lsu-prime-video)\n\nEpisode 5, \"The Bag Man,\" examines the role of booster collectives, organized groups of wealthy alumni that have made previously informal payments to athletes businesslike. Mackenzie Landry, a consultant for the Bayou Traditions Collective, says in the series, \"You're buying a team.\" Personal injury lawyer Gordon McKernan, a recurring figure, describes the NIL landscape as a \"bubble\" in which schools with deep-pocketed boosters will dominate.[11](https://awfulannouncing.com/amazon/prime-video-the-money-game-review.html)\n\n## Reception and aftermath\n\nThe series reached No. 2 on [Amazon Prime](https://www.edgepedia.org/amazon-prime) within a week of release, and in April 2025 it was nominated for Outstanding Documentary Series at the 46th Sports Emmy Awards.[6](https://lsusports.net/thebrand) • [4](https://www.louisianasports.net/2025/04/10/nil-documentary-featuring-lsu-athletes-nominated-for-sports-emmy/) Reviewers noted both its access and its promotional character: Common Sense Media called it \"a promotional vehicle for the LSU Athletic Department, which is trying to establish itself as a leading NIL program to attract new talent,\" while also crediting it with a detailed look at the challenges and benefits of NIL.[13](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/the-money-game)\n\nThe season captured in the series turned out to be a defining one for the athletes it followed: when it concluded, Dunne had helped LSU's gymnastics squad capture its first national title, Reese departed for the WNBA, and Daniels won the Heisman Trophy and was selected in the first round of the [NFL draft](https://www.edgepedia.org/nfl-draft).[5](https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans/2024/09/09/review-the-money-game-lsu-athletes-olivia-dunne-angel-reese) The finale teases the next stage of the transformation, decisions allowing colleges to share revenue directly with their athletes.[5](https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans/2024/09/09/review-the-money-game-lsu-athletes-olivia-dunne-angel-reese)\n\n## References\n\n1. [Everything you need to know about Prime Video's new docuseries 'The Money Game: LSU', About Amazon](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/entertainment/prime-video-money-game-lsu-athletics)\n2. [The Money Game, Campfire Studios](https://www.campfire.us/the-money-game/)\n3. [The Money Game: LSU, Season 1, TheTVDB.com](https://thetvdb.com/series/the-money-game/seasons/official/1)\n4. [NIL documentary featuring LSU athletes nominated for Sports Emmy, Louisiana Sports](https://www.louisianasports.net/2025/04/10/nil-documentary-featuring-lsu-athletes-nominated-for-sports-emmy/)\n5. [Review: \"The Money Game\" leads viewers on LSU athletes' whirlwind NIL explosion, Axios New Orleans](https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans/2024/09/09/review-the-money-game-lsu-athletes-olivia-dunne-angel-reese)\n6. [The Brand, LSUsports.net](https://lsusports.net/thebrand)\n7. [How The Money Game showcases LSU's Angel Reese, Jayden Daniels, ClutchPoints interview with Drea Cooper](https://clutchpoints.com/entertainment/the-money-game-director-drea-cooper-exclusive-interview)\n8. [Olivia Dunne, Angel Reese and LSU athletes to star in new docuseries on Prime Video, Axios](https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans/2024/01/25/money-game-olivia-dunne-angel-reese-lsu-athletics-amazon-prime-video)\n9. ['The Money Game': What We Know About New Livvy Dunne, Angel Reese Docuseries, Forbes](https://www.forbes.com/sites/maryroeloffs/2024/08/16/the-money-game-what-we-know-about-new-livvy-dunne-angel-reese-docuseries/)\n10. [Watch trailer for \"The Money Game,\" LSU's new streaming series on Prime Video, Axios New Orleans](https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans/2024/08/15/watch-trailer-money-game-lsu-series-prime-video)\n11. [Amazon Prime Video's 'The Money Game' shows new cost of college athletics, Awful Announcing](https://awfulannouncing.com/amazon/prime-video-the-money-game-review.html)\n12. [New from Axios: The Money Game, Axios](https://www.axios.com/2024/09/10/money-game-nil-lsu-prime-video)\n13. [The Money Game, Parents' Guide & TV Review, Common Sense Media](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/the-money-game)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › Unscripted, reality, and web-native series › Documentary, docudrama, and lifestyle series › Music, arts, and biographical docuseries*\n\n*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n", "same_as": [], "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/the-money-game-lsu", "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/the-money-game-lsu.md", "license": { "name": "Edgepedia Community License 1.0", "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license", "summary": "Free with credit, commercial use included. AI training is open to everyone. For other uses, organizations over USD 100M in revenue or 100M monthly users license separately.", "spdx": "LicenseRef-Edgepedia-Community-1.0" }, "credit": "\"The Money Game: LSU\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/the-money-game-lsu. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "credit_md": "\"[The Money Game: LSU](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-money-game-lsu)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/the-money-game-lsu](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-money-game-lsu). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).", "credit_html": "\"The Money Game: LSU\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/the-money-game-lsu. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "speakable": "The Money Game: LSU is a 2024 six-part Prime Video docuseries, directed by Drea Cooper and produced by Campfire Studios, Axios Entertainment, and Shaquille O'Neal's Jersey Legends, following LSU athletes Olivia Dunne, Angel Reese, Jayden Daniels, Flau'jae Johnson, Alia Armstrong, and Trace Young through the 2023-24 NIL era." }