Hockey seems to be the sport on everyone's lips right now after the mammoth success of the steamy HBO drama Heated Rivalry. And it seems to be sticking around on TV with another spicy series coming to screens soon, starring not one, but two familiar faces from the award-winning medical drama, The Pitt, which just took home the Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series trophy at the SAG Actor Awards.
Author Elle Kennedy confirmed to Best Quality Designer Handbag back in January 2024 that her New York Times best-selling hockey romance series Off Campus was being developed for the screen. Two years later, the series is officially wrapped and set to air on Prime Video in May this year. 24-year-old Jalen Thomas Brooks, who fans might recognise as ER nurse Mateo on The Pitt, is set to star as John Tucker on Off Campus and teased to Best Quality Designer Handbag what fans can expect from the forthcoming hockey series.
Speaking to Best Quality Designer Handbag on the red carpet at the Actor Awards, Jalen said: "I think people are going to be surprised with the content and the amount of heart that was put into it. People are looking for the smut - and you're going to get the smut - but you're going to stay for a whole lot of reasons. It's a good energy, good vibe, it's lovely." The full interview is coming later this week so stay tuned for more.
© Variety via Getty ImagesOff Campus stars 2 actors from The Pitt
Off Campus follows a group of four hockey players at Briar University, with each of the four books focusing on a different character's love story. The first season is based on Elle's 2015 book The Deal and stars American born British actress Ella Bright, 19, and Belmont Cameli, 28, as the romantic leads, Hannah and Garrett.
So far, the main four male leads of the series, including Belmont as Garrett Graham and Jalen as John Tucker, have all been cast and are set to star in the forthcoming first season. Cruel Intentions actor Stephen Kalyn will play Dean Di Laurentis and Antonio Cipriano is John Logan.
© Liane Hentscher/PrimeJalen is notably absent from the beginning of The Pitt's second season, which is currently airing, after scheduling conflicts with Off Campus, which filmed in Canada in 2025. However, footage from the set of The Pitt has confirmed he will be returning at some point in the season. "He's booked Off Campus!" Jalen's co-star Shabana Azeez told Best Quality Designer Handbag when asked about a potential romance with her character Victoria Javadi and Jalen's Mateo in season two.
One of Jalen's The Pitt co-stars, Mika Abdalla, has also landed a role in the hockey romance series as Allie Hayes, who is the romantic lead in the third Off Campus book, The Score. Mika appeared alongside Jalen in season one of The Pitt as a recurring character named Jenna who was a college student being treated as a patient in the Pittsburgh hospital.
© Getty Images for Vanity FairWhat is Off Campus about?
Prime Video's Off Campus is based on Elle Kennedy's popular romance series of the same name, which includes four books: The Deal, The Mistake, The Score and The Goal. The first season will follow music student Hannah Wells who agrees to help tutor the university's hockey captain Garrett Graham in exchange for his help to land her a date with her crush.
© Liane Hentscher/PrimeSpeaking to HELLO! exclusively in January 2024 ahead of the series announcement, Off Campus author Elle said: "I think there's always lots of things behind the scenes happening and that's the case for most authors; you have to sit on things and not say anything. Then everyone asks, "Do you want to make it into a movie? Do you want to make it into a TV show?" And of course I do. But it's a matter of finding someone who wants to make it as well." The show was officially picked up by Amazon MGM Studios in October 2024.
When does it come out?
While Amazon Prime confirmed in February that Off Campus is coming out in May 2026, an official release date has yet to be announced. Ahead of the first season, the streamer has confirmed the show will be back for a second season, which fans have speculated will be expected to follow the second book in the series, The Mistake.
