STX’s Stephan James and J.K. Simmons upcoming sports drama National Champions has a star-studded cast, and continues to expand its roster. Actors Uzo Aduba, Alexander Ludwig, Andrew Bachelor, David Koechner, Tim Blake Nelson, and Timothy Olyphant have now joined the cast according to Deadline.

National Champions is based on Adam Mervis’ play of the same name. The play tells the truth and story of the big business of college sports and follows the life of a star quarterback (Stephen James), who “…ignites a player’s strike 72 hours before the biggest game of the year to fight for fair compensation, equality, and respect for the athletes who put their bodies and health on the line for their schools.” 

Aduba will play Katherine, the outside counsel to the NCAA, Ludwig will play Emmett, who joins forces with James’ character as they fight for fair compensation of college athletes, Bachelor will play Taylor, one of the college football team’s boosters, and Koechner will play Everly, one of the conference heads. Nelson will play Rodger, the funny car dealer who is the head of the team’s booster club, and Olyphant will play Elliott, a hipster professor.

The film is being produced by Basil Iwanyk and Brendon Boyea of Thunder Road and Greg Economou of game1. Jonathan Fuhrman of Thunder Road, Matthew Helderman and Luke Taylor of Bondit Media Capital, Christian Mercuri of The Capstone Group, Michael Smith, and Mervis are executive producers.