What's behind a banner season for the UW Huskies? It could be a fan 'collective'

The University of Washington Huskies are looking to take a bite out of the Michigan Wolverines in the College football national championship game Monday night in Houston.

Both teams are going into the game undefeated. For the Huskies, it's been more than three decades since the school's last national football title.

Soundside host Libby Denkmann caught up with Danny O'Neil, the author behind "The Dang Apostrophe," a Substack newsletter, about what to expect during Monday's game.

Regardless of the outcome, what's behind the Huskies surprising position as a contender for the College Football National Championship?

One of the reasons for their success may be thanks to a new gray area tactic that helps teams recruit and retain players: Fan “collectives.”

All four teams in the College Football Playoffs this year — the Texas Longhorns, Alabama Crimson Tide, Michigan Wolverines and UW Huskies — have active fan collectives.

Washington’s largest is called “Montlake Futures.”

We'll hear from New York Times reporters David Fahrenthold and Billy Witz about how these collectives work, and how the Internal Revenue Service is raising red flags.

Listen to the full interviews with Danny O'Neil, David Fahrenthold and Billy Witz by clicking the play button at the top of the page.