Raising the Game: a college women's sports podcast that follows the pipeline
Raising the Game is a weekly women's sports podcast hosted by Caitlin Tripp and Alex Tripp, and college sports coverage runs through the whole show — not just basketball in March, but gymnastics, volleyball, and softball throughout the year. We pay attention to how these programs feed the professional leagues we cover every week, because for us, the college game and the pro game are one continuous story.
Dedicated coverage every championship season.
Watch the latest college sports episode
What our college sports coverage actually includes
March Madness gets our full attention, but college coverage on this show goes past basketball. We've covered NCAA gymnastics scoring changes and a perfect 10, women's college volleyball's record-breaking attendance numbers, and the drama coming out of the College Softball World Series.
We also try to connect college storylines to what happens next. When a senior class finishes a championship run, we're already talking about which of them are first-round WNBA picks. When a coach builds something over a decade, we talk about the players who came through and where they ended up.
UCLA's national championship and the senior class that stayed
UCLA beat South Carolina 79-51 for its first national championship in the modern NCAA era, holding a Final Four regular for six straight seasons under 30% shooting. We covered the game itself — Lauren Betts dominating inside, the Bruins winning the turnover and three-point battles — but the story we kept coming back to was the senior class. Five UCLA starters, all projected first-round WNBA picks, chose to stay together for one more season in an era when the transfer portal makes that increasingly rare. We also talked through head coach Cori Close's 15-year build at UCLA and the servant-leadership philosophy — she keeps a broom and a shovel in her office — that shaped it.
Geno, Dawn, and the handshake
One of our more pointed college sports segments covered what happened after UConn lost to South Carolina in the Final Four. We broke down Geno Auriemma's postgame confrontation with Dawn Staley, the double standard in how the two coaches get held accountable for similar moments, and the pointed handshake Staley extended to Cori Close in full view of the crowd before the championship game. We also used the moment to talk about what real coaching legacies look like — Auriemma has sent 25 players to the WNBA over four decades, and that history matters even when a single postgame moment doesn't reflect well on him.
Beyond basketball: gymnastics, volleyball, and softball
We track NCAA gymnastics closely, including the sport's new season-long scoring format — moving from a six-meet to a nine-meet average to reward consistency — and Jordan Chiles's perfect 10 for UCLA on floor. Women's college volleyball has also become a genuine attendance story: the all-time women's sports attendance record was set when Nebraska volleyball drew 92,000 fans to its football stadium, and NCAA volleyball playoff games now average around 20,000 fans and 1.7 million TV viewers. We've also covered the College Softball World Series, including a broadcast fumble that took ESPN's live feed offline mid-game — and the sideline reporter who kept covering the action on her own livestream anyway.
Start with these college sports episodes
Five entry points, depending on what you're most interested in:
UCLA's title and the Geno-Dawn handshake (Episode 14)
UCLA's 79-51 win over South Carolina, the senior class that stayed together, and the Auriemma-Staley confrontation that dominated Final Four discourse.
March Madness coaches and contenders (Episode 12)
Kara Lawson's best quotes, the Vanderbilt-UConn Elite Eight matchup, and a Gophers March Madness run worth talking about.
NCAA gymnastics' new scoring era (Episode 5)
The nine-meet scoring average, the exclusive "198 club," and Jordan Chiles's perfect 10 heading toward a reinstated Olympic bronze medal.
Women's college volleyball's attendance boom (Episode 2)
The 92,000-fan world record, the 45-50% viewership growth, and why advertisers should be paying closer attention.
College Softball World Series drama (Episode 22)
Transfer rivalries, bad blood, an ESPN broadcast fumble, and the sideline reporter who covered the game herself when the feed cut out.
Never Miss an Episode
Subscribe to Raising the Game wherever you listen.
If you'd rather read, the blog has written recaps of every show, including the college sports episodes above.
Latest college sports episodes
Episode 36 - Jeff Goldberg on the UConn Dynasty
Our first interview: Jeff Goldberg on covering UConn women's basketball for the Hartford Courant, the stories the Apple TV docuseries didn't have room for, and why the WNBA at 30 looks a lot like the NBA in 1977.
Episode 14 - NCAA Championship, WNBA Free Agency, and Why Connecticut Can't Have Nice Things
UCLA wins its first modern-era NCAA title over South Carolina, while WNBA free agency, the expansion draft, and Sun relocation heat up.
Episode 12 - The WNBA CBA Is Here, Women's Tackle Football, and March Madness Magic
The WNBA's new CBA brings a $7 million salary cap and $1.4 million super maxes. We break it down, plus tackle football and March Madness.
Episode 2 Recap: WNBA Labor Standoff, Unrivaled’s Electric Debut, & Volleyball’s Big Business
Unrivaled's electric 3v3 debut, the WNBA's CBA standoff, and League One Volleyball's rise, as women's sports outgrow old excuses.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a podcast dedicated to college women's sports?
Raising the Game isn't exclusively a college sports podcast — we also cover the WNBA, NWSL, PWHL, and USWNT — but NCAA women's basketball, gymnastics, volleyball, and softball all get regular segments, especially through March Madness and championship season.
Do you cover March Madness and the NCAA women's basketball tournament?
In full. We covered UCLA's run to its first national championship, the 79-51 win over South Carolina in the final, and the Geno Auriemma–Dawn Staley confrontation that dominated Final Four discourse.
Do you cover NCAA gymnastics, volleyball, and softball?
Yes. We've covered NCAA gymnastics scoring changes and Jordan Chiles's perfect 10, the record-breaking attendance numbers in women's college volleyball, and the drama out of the College Softball World Series.
Do you cover the draft pipeline from college to the pros?
This is one of our favorite threads to pull on. We track players like UCLA's five senior starters heading into the WNBA draft, and prospects like Azzi Fudd and Olivia Miles as they move from college stardom into professional leagues we already cover weekly.
How often do new college sports episodes come out?
College sports get a dedicated segment whenever there's real news — which is most weeks during the season, and nearly every week during March Madness and championship season.
Where can I listen to your college sports podcast episodes?
Full video episodes are on YouTube. Audio is on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and every major podcast app. Every episode also gets a written recap on our blog.
What makes your college sports coverage different?
We connect the dots other coverage leaves separate — a college star's Final Four performance and the professional league she's about to join, a coach's philosophy and how it shows up on the court, a scoring-format change and what it means for a season-long broadcast strategy.
How do I suggest a college sports topic or guest?
Email us at raisingthegamepod@gmail.com or reach out on Instagram. Listener questions have shaped several of our deep dives.