Watch: Controversial 'BS High' documentary teaser gets released on HBO, dropping this August 2023

Bishop Sycamore was a brilliantly executed scam
Bishop Sycamore was a brilliantly executed scam

HBO released a teaser for “BS High” on August 3, giving a glimpse into the story of the fake high school football team that deceived ESPN. The documentary is set to premiere on HBO Max on August 23, 2023.

Travon Free and Martin Desmond Roe, who received an Academy Award for their short film, "Two Distant Strangers," have directed the documentary. Adam McKay, known for his work on movies like "The Big Short" and "Vice," is the executive producer.

The real story of 'BS High'

The Bishop Sycamore Centurions are the high school football team that is the subject of the 'BS High' documentary. The team was based in Columbus, Ohio, and claimed to be the high school football team of Bishop Sycamore High School. The high school was promoted as a sports training facility for athletes.

However, following its annihilating loss to IMG, which was televised on ESPN on August 29, 2021, people began to look closely at the school’s existence. What followed was the revelation of the identities and authenticity of the administrators of the team.

The school was declared a scam by a former executive for the Ohio High School Athletic Association.

In an official report published by the Ohio Department of Education in December 2021, it was concluded that the institution was operating as a scam. Despite suffering blowout losses in all six of their games in 2020, the school was still able to schedule marquee games against prestigious schools.

In fact, their televised game against IMG Academy was their second game against the school, having suffered a 56-6 loss earlier in 2020. They still managed to put together the fourth most difficult schedule of any high school team in the US in 2021.

However, their other opponents canceled their fixtures following the scandal that ensued in the wake of the televised game.

Further investigation into the team revealed that many of their supposed student-athletes were beyond high school age. Furthermore, the school didn’t have a real campus but lodged its athletes in a hotel for five months. Within that time, the only activity with an academic semblance was a visit to a public library.

Edited by Veer Badani
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