The U (film)
| The U | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Billy Corben |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | ESPN Films |
Release date |
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Running time | 80 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The U is a 2009 documentary film about the University of Miami football program. It was produced by Miami-based media studio Rakontur and directed by Billy Corben.
The film premiered December 12, 2009 after the Heisman Trophy presentation on ESPN as a part of their 30 for 30 documentary series. The U's premiere drew 2.3 million viewers, the most ever for a documentary on the sports cable network until the debut of Pony Excess, another college football documentary about the Southern Methodist University football scandal in the 1980s.[1]
DVD release
This film was released on DVD in 2010, both separately and as part of the 30 for 30 box set. The DVD cover, depicting Michael Irvin, originally had the "U" logo on his helmet, but it was airbrushed from the cover after the University of Miami objected to the logo's appearance. Excerpts from Florida State University's "Seminole Rap" video that initially appeared in the documentary were also cut from the DVD release.
Sequel
In December 2014, ESPN released a second 30 for 30 film about the Hurricanes program, titled The U Part 2. The film documents the second rise to glory of the Miami Hurricanes football team in the late 1990s and early 2000s followed by the eventual fall of the program, due largely to a scandal in which multiple top players accepted cash rewards from rogue booster Nevin Shapiro.