ESPN Films' 30 FOR 30 Presents 'The Gospel According to Mac' Tonight

The next documentary from ESPN Films' Peabody and Emmy Award-winning 30 FOR 30 series will be "The Gospel According to Mac," premiering toight, Nov. 3, at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Directed by Jim Podhoretz and produced by Jonathan Hock, the film is an exploration of Bill McCartney and his provocative approach running the University of Colorado football program on the way to a national championship. Podhoretz and Hock previously collaborated on the 30 FOR 30 film "Survive and Advance" featuring the extraordinary championship run of Jim Valvano and his NC State basketball team.

Football is a religion to many people, but few know the depths of both faiths as well as Bill McCartney, the former head football coach of the University of Colorado and the founder of a Christian men's ministry called Promise Keepers. "The Gospel According to Mac" tells the truth-is-stranger-than-fiction story of Coach Mac's controversial national championship run that followed several years of multiple arrests and strife between his mostly African-American players and the Boulder police.

The turmoil included McCartney's daughter becoming pregnant by the team's quarterback Sal Aunese, not long before Aunese would lose his life to cancer. McCartney's passionate and often polarizing beliefs earned him both admirers and detractors, but it's difficult to deny that he embodies some of the essential issues facing football in America to this day.

Additional information, including film clips and director statements and bios, will be available at espn.com/30for30. Follow 30 FOR 30 on Facebook (facebook.com/espn30for30) and Twitter (@30for30). 30 FOR 30 is presented by Volkswagen.

About ESPN Films

Created in March 2008, ESPN Films produces high-quality documentary films showcasing some of the most compelling stories in sports. In October 2009, ESPN Films launched the Peabody and Emmy Award-winning 30 FOR 30 film series. Additional projects from ESPN Films include the decorated series 30 FOR 30 Shorts, NINE FOR IX and SEC STORIED among others.

Photo courtesy of ESPN Films

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