It was that or "Michael Phelps Goes To Jail"

Last year rocker Tommy Lee "went" to the University of Nebraska (or at least within a few feet of the campus). This year it's Olympic medalist-good guy Joey Cheek's turn.

mtvU GREENLIGHTS “JOEY CHEEK GOES TO COLLEGE”

New mtvU Series Tracks Gold Medalist’s Journey from the Olympics

to College Enrollment and Beyond

New York, NY – April 17, 2006 – mtvU, MTV’s 24-hour college network, today greenlit the new series, “Joey Cheek Goes to College” (working title).  The show will offer a candid look at Joey’s life in the aftermath of winning Olympic gold and as he rallies support for pressing global issues, while also making one of the biggest decisions every college student faces – which school to choose.  mtvU cameras and Joey’s unscripted video diaries will document this one-of-a-kind journey, leading up to and following him through this new chapter of his life. 

The first season of “Joey Cheek Goes to College” will run for six episodes and premiere on mtvU and the network’s all access broadband channel, mtvU Über at mtvU.com, this fall.  A sneak preview of the new mtvU series will premiere on-air and online May 1^st, with Joey fielding questions submitted by college students nationwide.

“Every college student has encountered the stress of applying to and enrolling in college, but how many do it as an Olympic gold medalist leading international humanitarian efforts?” said Stephen Friedman, GM of mtvU. “We’re excited to share Joey Cheek’s fascinating story with college students and the world and look forward to debuting the series next semester.”

“The humanitarian crisis in Sudan desperately needs the world’s attention and this show will help illuminate the dire situation – as well as how college students can get involved,” said Cheek.  “I also thought it would be interesting to have more than seven million college students accompany me on this bizarre journey from Torino to the campus quad.”

“Joey Cheek Goes to College” will offer viewers a first-person accounting of Joey’s Olympic odyssey, from life in the village to the medal stand, and capture the chaotic whirlwind tour that began the moment he won gold.  He’ll travel to Zambia in an effort to encourage HIV/AIDS education and prevention. He’ll set out on a college speaking tour to spread awareness about the genocide taking place in the Darfur region of Sudan and how college students can help stop the killing.  He’ll be a keynote speaker at The Rally to Stop Genocide on the Mall in Washington, D.C, taking place April 30th.  And while all this is happening, he’ll go through the nerve wracking process of researching, applying to and enrolling in college.

Every episode of the show will premiere on demand on mtvU Über at mtvU.com, with the broadband channel showcasing additional footage not shown on air. Visitors to mtvU.com will also be able to read Joey’s personal blog, interact with him online and more.