Tailgate - by Ron Johnston (Hardcover)

About the Book

College football fans and alumni everywhere, men and women; including players, coaches, and anyone associated with the business side of the sport.

Book Synopsis

Tailgate is a novella in the sports fiction genre, infused with mystery and suspense. It examines the dubious state of college football and the factors that threaten its very existence in an age of discontent and greed.

Protagonist Grady Glen, a syndicated sports columnist, initiates a campaign against the transfer Portal, and Name/ Image/ Likeness, a system that allows college football players to leverage the value of their NIL for personal gain. Woven into the narrative of this provocative fiction is a journey of mystery and suspense for Grady and wife Francine, a feature writer for Sports Illustrated. Neither could have imagined the terrifying ending.

Standing by as college football self-destructs would have the same impact as if a university closed its school of Arts and Sciences. Either scenario would leave a huge hole in the heart of academia and its complementary traditions. The symbiotic relationship that exists between the gridiron and hallowed halls of one's alma mater is not utopia...but it sure comes close.

Review Quotes

"The portal destroys loyalty, the NIL fuels greed, and together comprise character." Grady Glen, 2026