It is 1971 and football coach Herman Boone (Denzel Washington) has just taken over as the coach of the Titans, a recently-integrated college team. The Titans head off for training camp, and under Boone's strict leadership, the black and white players manage to put aside their initial distrust and grow into a strong team with a good chance at winning the state championship. However, when they return to school, the team find ingrained prejudice on many parts of the campus, with some officials even plotting to get rid of Boone, but this only strengthens their resolve to win the season.