The U, Rakontur's documentary about the Miami Hurricanes football team in the '80s, was the highest-rated documentary ever to air on ESPN, so it makes sense the channel is eager for some more Miami documentary magic. While plans for a sequel to The U have been put on hold, ESPNU is in talks to air a 30-minute special featuring the Canes this fall. It would be modeled after HBO's Hard Knocks series.
The program would document the beginning of the Al Golden era and give cameras access to the Canes' preseason practices.
"None of this is feasible without Al Golden offering the transparency necessary to provide fans the chance to get a unique perspective on the football program," associate athletic director for communications Chris Freet told the Palm Beach Post. "It's a full-access look at what goes into preparing for a college football season. There's a story to tell."
UM has already released webisodes documenting the team's off-season progress that have proved popular on its website, and apparently footage for the program has been collected since January.
While The U was an unauthorized look at the program (and disagreements between the filmmakers and school administrators derailed the second installment), it seems UM would have a lot more control over what was aired on ESPNU. Though, it's quite likely it wouldn't reach as large an audience.
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